Crime & Arrests

It could've been way worse for Boosie Badazz ... but it's still pretty bad, because he's facing 2 felony charges in Georgia from his April drug bust.

The D.A. in Coweta County slapped the Louisiana rapper with possession of less than an ounce of marijuana, and possession of a controlled substance. When you see it's less than an ounce of weed, ya might think it's not that serious, but Georgia ain't Colorado or California -- it still takes marijuana very seriously.

As we reported, Boosie was arrested back in April when cops pulled him over in his white Dodge Charger for swerving lanes and nearly hitting another vehicle. During the traffic stop, officers found the ganja, one handgun and more than $20,000 in cash.

Prosecutors decided not to charge Boosie for the gun possession.

It's unclear why he got the pass. Boosie did have a passenger in the car, who is also facing the same 2 drug charges. If convicted, both men are looking at least 1 year in prison ... depending on how many grams of green they had. Remember, Boosie previously did 5 years in Louisiana for drug charges.

One last piece of accounting in the case -- prosecutors tacked on a traffic violation for Boosie ... failure maintain his lane.

Heather Locklear just pled no contest to 8 misdemeanors, including 6 involving battery on a police officer or EMT, and she's getting a sentence that will hopefully help her -- a sentence that does not involve jail.

The judge decided the appropriate sentence was 30 days in a residential mental health facility. The judge stayed a 120 jail sentence. Of course, that means Heather must complete the 30 days of treatment or else she could face the jail sentence.

Sources connected to Heather tell TMZ she wanted to take responsibility for what she did and wants to get help so she avoids such trouble in the future. She'll also be on 3 years of informal probation -- meaning unsupervised. Heather was also ordered not to possess weapons, non-prescribed medications or alcohol.

The judge said Heather must enroll in the treatment program by Sept. 6.

As we reported, Heather was arrested in February and again in June of last year. In the first incident, she was allegedly under the influence and attacked her boyfriend and a responding police officer. In the second incident, police responded to a disturbance call and allegedly a heavily intoxicated Locklear attacked a cop and an EMT.

Heather has been fighting substance abuse and coping with mental illness for years. She's been placed on an involuntarily psychiatric hold in the past and has gone to rehab a number of times.

We're told she's been getting professional help and the 30 days in a mental health facility will be the latest move to help her beat these demons.

R. Kelly believes Michael Jackson's attorney is just the guy he needs to help set him free -- but if that happens, it's gonna come at a steep cost.

TMZ broke the story ... Kelly met with famed lawyer Tom Mesereau -- who beat the rap for Michael Jackson back in 2005. We're told after the 4-hour meeting, Kelly was in hook, line and sinker. We're told Mesereau hasn't agreed to rep Kelly -- at least not yet -- but it could very well happen.

Here's the rub. Mesereau is one of the best and most sought after criminal defense lawyers in the country. He's turned prosecutors flat-footed in trials where it seemed open-and-shut against his client. Did we mention he scored a not guilty verdict for accused wife murderer Robert Blake?

That said, Tom doesn't come cheap, and money has become super tight in Kelly's world. He's already hired a battery of lawyers, and he's making next to nothing.

We're told Kelly and his team are trying to figure out ways to raise the money to hire Mesereau.

As for why the singer wants to 86 his current attorney, Steve Greenberg, and his team -- our sources say R. Kelly believes they care way too much about getting media attention for themselves ... Greenberg calls the whole thing, "A complete load of crap."

R. Kelly's financial woes have been well documented -- he needed outside help to pay his initial $100k bond, and spent additional time behind bars because he couldn't ante up $161k in back child support to ex-wife Drea Kelly. He's currently paying Drea $21k/month in support.

We're told if Mesereau is brought on, attorney Raed Shalabi -- who also visited with Kelly Wednesday -- will likely join the team too.

The criminal cases keep piling on. Kelly was recently hit with more sex crime charges, this time in Minnesota, where prosecutors say the disgraced singer once paid a teenage girl to have sexual contact with him in his hotel room.

Justice is served!

Deborah Sue Culwell -- the woman who was caught on surveillance video tossing 7 pups into a dumpster in Coachella earlier this year -- has pled guilty and been sentenced to 1 year in jail.

The sentence, which also includes 6 years' probation after her time behind bars, was reduced to 174 days with credit for time served.

Culwell was originally charged with 7 felony counts of animal cruelty, plus 7 misdemeanor counts of abandoning the dogs – and she pled guilty to all 14 charges. She was initially facing up to 7 years behind bars, so it's surprisingly good luck for the Cruella de Vil wannabe.

In addition to the jail time, she must undergo random drug testing, and also complete mental health counseling. She also cannot possess any animals during the probation. Thank God.

At the time of the bust, the 54-year-old animal abuser reportedly had 38 other dogs in her custody.

As we reported, the woman was caught in April casually dropping a plastic bag filled with 3-day-old puppies into a dumpster, with temperatures hovering around the mid-90s.

A Good Samaritan dug the lil guys out of the trash. He alerted authorities and the animals were taken to Riverside County Animal Services.

6 of the 7 puppies survived, and the case triggered mass outrage across the country. The 6 pups all went into foster care and we're told several were adopted.

The man who brutally killed Ashton Kutcher's friend has just been found guilty of 2 counts of first degree murder.

The jury in Michael Gargiulo's murder trial returned its verdict Thursday ... finding him guilty of killing two women with a knife in California, including Ashton's friend, Ashley Ellerin. Jury deliberations began Monday.

Gargiulo will move onto the sanity phase of the trial, which will determine if he was sane during the killings, and this will begin on Tuesday.

As we reported ... Ashton took the stand back in May, going in front of the jury on behalf of his slain friend and providing crucial testimony.

Ashton said Ashley was supposed to be his date to a Grammys after-party in 2001, but she never showed.

The actor testified that on the night of the Grammys, he went to Ashley's home around 10:45 PM and knocked on the door, but there was no answer. Ashton says he peered through a side window and saw what he believed was red wine spilled on the floor, so he bounced.

Ashley was found dead in her house the next morning, lying outside the bathroom with more than 47 stab wounds ... and authorities said Gargiulo was the killer.

The judge and jury went on an emotional field trip back in June, checking out the place where Ashley died a gruesome death.

Jeffrey Epstein reportedly had multiple fractures in his neck bones, something that is more common in death by strangulation than by hanging.

The breaks include a bone near the Adam's apple, according to the Washington Post. TMZ reported early on Epstein committed suicide by hanging himself ... this according to multiple sources. It appears the fractures are the reason the cause of death has been deferred pending further investigation.

Meanwhile, an American flag is flying at half-staff on Epstein's private island -- Little St. James Island in the U.S. Virgin Islands.

NBA YoungBoy is a free man again ... after serving nearly 3 months behind bars for his involvement in the Miami shooting that left his GF injured earlier this year.

The rapper embraced his family early Thursday morning when he was released from East Baton Rouge Parish Prison. You can see YoungBoy grinning ear to ear and smoking in celebration as his Mom captured their reunion for social media. Other cameras were there to record the moment he strolled out a free man.

The 19-year-old rapper had been behind bars since May 17 when he was ordered back to jail for violating his probation by getting caught up in a shooting incident on Mother's Day outside Trump International Hotel.

As we reported ... NBA YoungBoy and his crew were on the receiving end of bullets ... leaving a bystander dead. YoungBoy was not hit but his GF, Kay Marie, suffered a gunshot wound. We got video of the wild scene inside the hotel following the gunfire.

YoungBoy -- who was in the 305 to perform at Rolling Loud -- rushed to Kay's side and applied pressure to her wound. Kay was taken out of a black SUV cops had pulled over, and loaded into an ambulance.

A judge ultimately determined YB violated his probation -- stemming from an August 2017 sentence  -- even though he was the target, not the shooter.

Bam Margera is behind bars after getting into it with patrons in the bar of a Hollywood hotel, and this video of his arrest is bizarre and, frankly, kinda sad ... when you consider he's supposed to be in rehab right now.

Bam was booked at 2:30 AM Wednesday by LAPD. Cops tell us they were called to the Luxe Hotel on Sunset after a hotel staffer placed him under citizen's arrest. Bam refused to leave the premises after talking trash to hotel patrons.

TMZ obtained this video of Bam plopped down in the middle of the lobby in a standoff with the fist officer on the scene. She tried to convince him to get up and go peacefully -- warning that she had a lot of backup on the way -- but Bam remained seated.

The officer told Bam, "This is not a f**king reality TV show. I know you're fresh out of rehab, so let's get your s**t together." Bam had been spinning a weird story with a couple of customers in the bar -- that he'd been hired by one of their wives to catch him cheating ... and he stuck to that even once cops arrived.

He was eventually arrested for trespassing and is currently being held on $1,000 bail.

The bust comes on the heels of Bam telling Dr. Phil he would go to rehab. TMZ broke the story ... Bam agreed to get treatment last week after an intense session with Dr. Phil, where Bam's wife, Nikki, and his mother confronted him about his substance abuse.

We're told Bam did check into a treatment facility, but bailed within days. On Tuesday, he posted a video of himself getting Dr. Phil's name tatted on his neck, and thanked him for trying to get him help.

Bam is still behind bars right now and his bail has been set at $1,000.

A$AP Rocky did not beat the rap in Sweden, because the judges in his assault case have found him guilty ... but he will NOT have to go to prison.

The 4 judges in the case issued their written ruling Wednesday ... concluding A$AP was guilty of assaulting a man during a street fight in Stockholm. The judges said Rocky, and his 2 friends who were also standing trial, "were not in a situation where they were entitled to self-defense."

The case hinged on whether A$AP threw a bottle at the victim during the all-out brawl in late June. Prosecutors argued Rocky hurled the bottle and badly cut the guy, but they couldn't produce a single witness who saw a bottle fly during the melee. Rocky conceded he was holding a bottle for protection, but put it down and it never made contact with the guy.

The judges said prosecutors did not prove the bottle was used to hit the victim. As a result, the judges said the crime did not warrant any further time served, and added Rocky will NOT have to do community service.

Rocky got a suspended sentence ... meaning he'll have to pay various fees and fines, and if he does he's in the clear. The judges felt Rocky and his co-defendants got ample punishment already with time served -- 1 month in a Swedish jail.

The upshot ... the court found hitting and kicking the victim while he was on the ground was a crime -- namely, assault -- because A$AP and his crew were not in danger of imminent harm, but prosecutors failed to prove the biggest issue ... that A$AP struck the victim with a bottle, and that's why he got no jail time.

A$AP and the co-defendants will, however, have to pay restitution to the victim, and also cover Sweden's court expenses.

As we reported, the alleged victim was the initial aggressor, harassing Rocky and his crew despite pleas from the rapper to leave them alone. The guy also attacked Rocky's bodyguard before A$AP took care of business.

A$AP was jailed for a month, and 3/4 of that time spent behind bars was before he was even charged. A$AP never claimed his arrest was racially motivated ... but his mom and G-Eazy had a different view.

The case became an international incident -- claims of racism and inhumane conditions in the jail. President Trump intervened ... but that didn't sit well with the Swedish Prime Minister who told him to butt out.

After a month in jail and a 3-day trial, the judges allowed Rocky to fly home to the states while they decided his fate. Prosecutors wanted Rocky to remain in jail pending the verdict, because they said he was a flight risk.

A$AP blew out of Sweden on a private jet, and was gleeful when he touched down at LAX.

As we reported ... Rocky performed last weekend at the Honda Center in Anaheim, CA for the first time since his arrest and told his fans, "Hopefully I'm not guilty and hopefully we ain't gotta go back to jail or nothing like that."

Rocky seemed to indicate he would have returned to Sweden to do the time if found guilty -- however, that won't be an issue.

Rapper Roddy Ricch allegedly grabbed his girlfriend during a heated argument at his home, and now he's facing possible felony domestic violence charges.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... the Compton MC got into a verbal spat with his girlfriend early Sunday morning at his Los Angeles pad. We're told the dispute eventually turned physical, and sources say Roddy put his hands on the woman during their argument.

Roddy was arrested and booked for felony domestic violence. We're told the alleged victim did not need medical attention.

The 20-year-old rapper was released on $50,000 bond.

Roddy Ricch has made a name for himself in the West Coast rap scene ... his music videos are getting millions of views on YouTube, and he was featured on Nipsey Hussle's hit track, "Racks In The Middle." Roddy's also working on a collab with Drake.

Ex-University of Miami star and former Buffalo Bills receiver Roscoe Parrish was arrested Monday after allegedly threatening to kill somebody ... TMZ Sports has learned.

According to jail records ... the 37-year-old was booked into Broward County Jail in Florida on felony charges of aggravated stalking-domestic violence and intimidation.

Unclear the details of his arrest ... we're working on it -- but jail records say Parrish made "written threats to kill."

Parrish was due in court Tuesday morning to face the charges -- jail records show $50,000 as the bail amount next to each charge.

Parrish was a 2nd-round pick of the Buffalo Bills in the 2005 NFL Draft ... and had a solid 8-year career in the NFL, playing in 90 games.

Parrish was perhaps best known for his college career with the Hurricanes ... where he logged 1,355 receiving yards and 12 receiving TDs from 2002 to 2004.

Former boxing star Clifford Etienne is passing time during his 105-year prison sentence by giving his prison mates fresh cuts ... TMZ Sports has learned.

Etienne is a former heavyweight contender and had fights with huge names like Mike Tyson and Francois Botha ... before he found himself in a bit of legal trouble.

In 2006, Etienne was found guilty of robbing a check cashing business, attempting to shoot a police officer and carjacking. He was eventually sentenced to 105 years behind bars.

Despite the long sentence, the 49-year-old appears to be in great spirits -- spending his time painting and cutting hair for his prison mates ... as well as responding to his pen pals.

In a letter, obtained by TMZ Sports ... Etienne says "I am still healthy, and I look forward to a better future."

"I paint and cut hair almost every day ... I do watch TV sometimes ... mostly news and sports."

Etienne also talks about his living situation, as well as reflects on his boxing career.

The fighter is remaining extremely positive about his future, saying, "I will get out of here" ... even if the legal odds aren't in his favor.

Jeffrey Epstein, the man accused of horrific sex crimes against underage women, has killed himself behind bars.

Prison guards found him dead Saturday morning at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in Manhattan. This appears to have been his second attempt at taking his life. He was found unresponsive in his cell last month, and it appeared to be a suicide attempt.

A gurney was wheeled out of the facility at 7:30 AM Saturday and taken to a nearby hospital following an apparent 911 call reporting cardiac arrest ... this according to the NY Post.

There was a big development in the scandal Friday when legal docs became public, naming other prominent, private and public, individuals, including a senator and former cabinet member who were allegedly involved in Epstein's sexual exploits. Those people have denied involvement.

Epstein was awaiting trial on charges of conspiracy and sex trafficking. Some of his alleged victims were as young as 14. The alleged abuse occurred between 2002 and 2005. The site of the alleged abuse was Epstein's swanky Upper East Side townhouse, as well as his Palm Beach waterfront mansion.

His charges held a possible sentence of 45 years behind bars.

Epstein, a Wall Street investor, had rich and powerful friends, including Bill Clinton, Donald Trump, Prince Andrew, Kevin Spacey and many others.

Epstein took what became a hugely controversial plea deal back in 2008 in Florida. He pled guilty to prostitution-related felonies involving a 14-year-old girl and received an 18-month sentence and served 13 months. As you know, former labor Secretary Alexander Acosta resigned last month over the plea. He was U.S. Attorney of the Southern District of Florida at the time and accepted the plea deal.

Epstein was taken into custody July 6 and denied bail.

Epstein was 66.

Michael Holston, the internet sensation who became famous as The Real Tarzann, has been arrested for burglary and assault ... law enforcement sources tell TMZ.

Holston was a zookeeper from Miami who produced viral videos of him cavorting with chimps, lions, giraffes, snakes, otters, kangaroos, sharks, reptiles and other animals was arrested in Miami Friday. He was booked on 3 charges -- all involving burglary and battery.

It's unclear, so far, exactly what he's accused of doing. We will update as soon as we get more info.

Holston has said he wants to be the next Steve Irwin, his hero. He's become popular for sure, with more than half a mil YouTube subscribers. He also fancies himself as an animal educator .. he travels to various schools and teaches kids about creatures in the wild. And, this is funny ... he was afraid of spiders, but eventually overcame his fears.

Holston is still in custody and being held on no bond.

Arizona Cardinals defensive end Darius Philon was arrested for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon ... after allegedly threatening to shoot a woman outside a strip club, TMZ Sports has learned.

Philon -- a 25-year-old who was a 6th round draft pick in 2015 -- was arrested in Phoenix and taken to the Maricopa County Jail Friday morning.

The 6'1", 286-lb. DE is accused of pointing a handgun at a dancer in the parking lot of the VLive strip club on May 17 around 2:15 AM ... according to a police report.

The alleged victim told cops that Philon requested she and another female companion accompany him out to his vehicle where he kept his money. While at his white BMW, Darius allegedly grabbed a black handgun and pointed it at the alleged victims chest ... while saying "which one of you wants a bullet?"

Darius allegedly lowered the weapon ... before again allegedly pointing it at the woman.

The alleged victim told cops she retreated to the club ... and Philon drove away, according to the report.

The alleged victim told police Philon returned to the club the following night -- telling her he "wanted to make things right -- and asked her to leave with him. She says she denied the request, and attempted to walk away … but claims Darius grabbed her by the arm and prevented her from leaving.

She told cops she was eventually able to get away from him and return to work … however, she says he followed her around for approximately 30 minutes before leaving the club.

The alleged victim did not immediately report the incident to cops. She waited several weeks before going to Phoenix PD … who then launched an investigation.

PPD concluded their investigation and arrested Philon Friday around 11 AM.

Philon -- who signed a 2-year $10 million contract earlier this year -- is in his 5th season in the NFL. Prior to joining the Cards, he played for the San Diego/Los Angeles Chargers. He racked up 8.5 sacks over the last 2 years.

Philon is still currently behind bars … and is set to appear before a judge on Saturday

Ex-U.S. Olympian Michael Barisone -- who competed in Dressage in the 2008 Olympics -- allegedly shot a woman at his upscale equestrian center in Jersey, according to reports.

The 54-year-old reportedly got into a dispute with the woman at the fancy 53-acre Hawthorne Farm in Long Valley around 2:15 PM on Wednesday ... and things escalated.

Barisone reportedly opened fire multiple times -- striking the woman, who was raced to a nearby hospital. According to the NY Post, her condition has been described as "up in the air."

The Morris County Prosecutor's Office confirmed an incident at that farm and said a suspect had been taken into custody ... but they have not officially named Barisone.

According to law enforcement, the suspect was also injured in the incident ... along with a 3rd person.

Cops are still investigating -- but according to the Post, Barisone is expected to be hit with charges in the very near future.

The dispute has been described to the Post as a "tenant/landowner" issue.

Barisone is a monster in the equestrian world -- he was named the 2009 Sportsman International Horseman of the Year and went on to train several Olympic riders ... including Alison Brock, who won a team bronze medal in Dressage in the 2016 Olympics in Rio.