Crime & Arrests

Brittney Griner, WNBA superstar and 2x Olympic gold medalist, was reportedly detained in Russia after customs officials say they found hashish oil in the hoopers luggage ... and she could now face 10 years in prison.

On Saturday, the Russian Federal Customs Service announced they'd detained an American basketball player back in February after finding vape cartridges in her bags while traveling through Sheremetyevo airport -- about 20 miles from Moscow.

Russian customs didn't identify the person taken into custody, but TASS, a Russian news agency, citing sources, ID'd the player as Griner, center for the Phoenix Mercury.

Customs released surveillance video on Saturday appearing to show Griner, wearing a mask, going through airport security. The clip shows what appears to be a security official removing a package from the traveler's bag.

According to a statement from Russian Customs, the traveler was flying from New York to Russia. At some point, they claim a drug dog alerted to her carry-on bag. Soon after they claim they found the vapes.

The statement says Russian officials have opened up a drug trafficking investigation ... a charge that could carry a five to ten-year prison sentence, if convicted.

Lindsay Kagawa Colas, Brittney's agent, issued the following statement.

"We are aware of the situation with Brittney Griner in Russia and are in close contact with her, her legal representation in Russia, her family, her teams, and the WNBA and NBA."

Colas continued ... "As this is an ongoing legal matter, we are not able to comment further on the specifics of her case but can confirm that as we work to get her home, her mental and physical health remain our primary concern."

The WNBA also released a statement pledging their support for Griner, saying their main objective was to return her to the USA as soon as possible.

31-year-old Griner, the 1st overall pick in the 2014 WNBA Draft, is one of the best players in the league. Brittney is a 7x All-Star, 2x Scoring Champ, 2x WNBA Defensive Player of the Year, and a WNBA champion.

Despite her accolades, Griner and other WNBA players routinely hoop in Russia ... as women can earn significantly more money than what the WNBA pays.

Griner is no stranger to the country. She's won four championships with the Russian Euroleague team, UMMC Ekaterinburg.

It's not publicly known where, or if, Griner is being held ... as the detainment allegedly occurred in February.

It's a perilous time for an American to be held in Russia. Relations between the two countries are incredibly strained, as Vladimir Putin's military invaded and attacked Ukraine, and the west responded with harsh sanctions, dealing a significant blow to Russia's economy.

Sherri Papini made national headlines 5 years ago when she was reportedly kidnapped ... well now there's been an arrest -- no, the kidnappers weren't busted ... Sherri was.

The California mom was arrested Thursday night for staging her own disappearance. On top of that, she was charged with fraudulently obtaining tens of thousands of dollars in victim's assistance funds.

Papini was reported missing in early November 2016 and was later found on Thanksgiving day about 150 miles away from her home. She told law enforcement that she was abducted and held at gunpoint by 2 Hispanic women. She worked with an FBI artist who came up with a sketch of the alleged kidnappers.

Well ... according to the Justice Department's criminal complaint ... the DOJ says she lied about the whole thing and was actually staying with her ex-boyfriend when she claimed she was kidnapped.

On top of that, she allegedly harmed herself to make it look authentic.

In 2020, she doubled down on her story when she was interviewed by the feds ... although she was told that there was evidence to show that her story was a big fat lie.

Papini ended up racking up $30K in victim assistance from the California Victim's Compensation Board from 2017 to 2021 ... which included payments for therapy.

If convicted, she faces a maximum of a quarter-century behind bars.

Harvey Weinstein was caught red-handed once again ... this time with a box of Milk Duds!

Law enforcement tells TMZ ... the contraband in question was discovered by L.A. County jail guards back in November -- after a meeting with attorney Shawn Burkley.

While it's unclear how the Duds made their way to him, Weinstein claimed he brought the chocolates with him when he was extradited from New York back in July. Apparently, jail officials think one of his lawyers may have slipped him the Duds.

Weinstein's rep Juda Engelmayer gave us a statement from Weinstein ... "This was an innocent misunderstanding. It will not happen again. I have been a model inmate, following the rules and regulations and I am sincerely sorry.”

HW's attorney Mark Werksman tells TMZ ... the judge took no action against Weinstein -- nor did the jail. Mark, Shawn, and his other lawyers are still visiting him ... with the same cursory checks in effect.

Weinstein is currently being held at the Correctional Treatment Center -- a medical unit within the Twin Towers jail in downtown Los Angeles ... as he currently awaits trial. He's serving a 23-year sentence in New York.

Shanna Moakler's traumatic week is taking a huge turn -- she just announced she's pregnant with her 4th child, days after her boyfriend Matthew Rondeau was arrested for allegedly hitting her.

Shanna says she took a pregnancy test that came up positive, and it's clear she's shocked by the news. In a statement, she said, "This has been a very difficult week, but I'm taking everything day by day."

As we reported, Rondeau was arrested for felony domestic violence last week.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ Shanna and Matthew got in a heated argument last Wednesday night ... Shanna left home but returned Thursday morning where the arguing continued and allegedly got physical.

We're told cops were called, and Shanna had visible marks on her body ... prompting officers to arrest and book Rondeau for felony domestic violence.

Rondeau posted an aggressive video on her social media before his arrest, claiming Shanna cheated on him and swearing he'd never get back with her.

Cindy Crawford has a stalker who flew thousands of miles to see her about a phantom child he says they share together ... so say cops who arrested the guy.

It's a crazy story ... a man from the UK flew to Cali and ended up on Cindy's doorstep Sunday ... to talk to her about "the kid" he said they had together.

We're told that he made his way onto the property and started banging on the door and windows ... all to get Cindy's attention.

Cindy was not home at the time ... instead, the man was greeted by cops -- who had been called there by security.

He tried explaining the purpose of his mission to cops, but it fell on deaf ears. The man was arrested and booked for felony stalking.

Jonathan Rhys Meyers has cut a deal in his DUI case ... and he's going to get the same treatment as an average Joe -- no jail time, as long as he keeps his nose clean.

According to new legal docs obtained by TMZ ... the actor copped a plea deal and was sentenced to 1-year summary probation. He'll pay a $500 fine and must complete an alcohol ed and counseling program.

TMZ broke the story ... Jonathan was arrested for misdemeanor DUI back in November 2020, after cops said he crashed his car in Malibu.

JRM was eventually hit with 3 charges — 2 DUI-related charges and 1 for reckless driving. As part of the deal, he ended up pleading no contest to the reckless driving charge, and the other two charges were dropped.

Jonathan's struggled with substance abuse problems over the years, going to rehab several times.

Jaxson Hayes faced a judge in L.A. stemming from his July arrest on Thursday ... and the Pelicans center entered a no contest plea for a resisting arrest and false imprisonment charge, TMZ Sports has learned.

The 21-year-old former Texas star was facing 10 other charges ... but the judge dismissed them.

Hayes was arrested on July 28 after LAPD responded to a reported domestic incident at a home where Hayes was staying. When officers arrived, cops say Hayes refused to allow them inside ... and a scuffle ensued.

At least one police officer sustained an injury during the struggle.

While cops were fighting with the 6'10" player -- who was tased during the scuffle -- Hayes was heard telling officers he couldn't breathe (LAPD is currently conducting a "use of force" investigation to determine if appropriate force was used).

Although Hayes did not plead guilty, a no contest plea would still end up with a conviction on his record.

Each of the two charges carries up to 364 days in jail, a fine or both.

The former police officers who stood by as George Floyd was being murdered by Derek Chauvin were just found guilty on all charges by a jury of their peers in their federal case.

Tou Thao, J. Alexander Kueng and Thomas Lane were convicted after a 12-person panel rendered their verdict following less than 2 full days of deliberations ... this after nearly a month-long trial.

The ex-cops were found guilty of all charges against them -- all 3 were facing a count of deprivation of rights under color of the law for failing to render medical aid to Floyd ... and Thao and Kueng were, additionally, hit with charges for failing to intervene in Chauvin's use of unreasonable force.

You might recall ... Lane was seen on camera at least trying to speak up about what was going on, asking if they should roll Floyd over -- only to be overruled by Chauvin.

As you know, Chauvin was convicted of murder last year ... and has since copped a plea on the federal charges he was also facing. Thao, Kueng and Lane aren't out of the woods yet either, BTW ... they have a state criminal trial later this year.

For this case, though ... Thao, Kueng, and Lane argued that they were deferring to Chauvin's seniority and experience in the situation ... and that they didn't intend for Floyd to die under the circumstances.

Kueng and Lane also tried to explain their behavior by pointing out how new they were to the Minneapolis PD force at that point -- each of them was just days into the job when the incident occurred in May 2020.

You'll recall ... Chauvin, Lane and Kueng held Floyd down -- with Chauvin pinning him at his neck. Thao was on crowd control behind the police vehicle.

As for what's on the table sentence-wise ... the men are facing the possibility of several years or even life in prison. The death penalty is technically possible given the charges, but prosecutors have given no indication they would seek it.

Shanna Moakler's boyfriend, Matthew Rondeau, has been arrested for felony domestic violence on the heels of a disturbing video in which he accused her of cheating and said their relationship was over.

Law enforcement sources tell us Shanna and Matthew got in a fight Wednesday night at their home after he accused her of cheating. Our sources say Shanna left the home, but returned Thursday morning where the fighting continued and allegedly became physical.

We're told cops were called, and Shanna had visible marks on her body ... Rondeau was arrested for felony domestic violence.

Moakler was just a contestant on "Celebrity Big Brother" -- the show's finale was Wednesday night.

In a video posted to Moakler's Instagram page Thursday, an irate Rondeau -- who was recording himself -- accused Moakler of cheating on him and called her a fake person. Rondeau said he and Moakler were finished as a couple and he'd never speak to her again.

"Baywatch" actress Alexandra Daddario had the scare of her life Saturday ... when an irate man with a loaded gun went to her home and went off screaming something about her.

LAPD cops rushed to the scene and found the guy standing outside Alexandra's house. They told him to leave but he refused.

As police detained him they searched the man's car and found a loaded handgun. He was arrested for possession of a concealed firearm.

It's unclear if Alexandra, who has also appeared in "Texas Chainsaw Massacre," "Percy Jackson & The Olympians," "The White Lotus" and "San Andreas," was home at the time. We also don't know if her fiancé, producer Andrew Form, was home. They got engaged in December.

Alexandra is active on social media, with more than 21 million IG followers, so she's high profile on various media platforms.

Spare D.L. Hughley the outrage over Kim Potter getting a 2-year sentence for killing Daunte Wright -- he says America's judicial system consistently lets cops off lightly, while ordinary Joes get the max.

We got the comedian and author at LAX Friday ... just a few hours after ex-officer Potter was sentenced for first and second-degree manslaughter. She could have gotten up to 15 years in prison, but D.L. says that almost never happens because, "There's a certain amount of accountability they refuse to ascribe to police officers."

Potter, who tearfully begged Daunte's family for forgiveness in court, shot and killed him during an April 2021 traffic stop outside Minneapolis. Her body cam appeared to back up Potter's claim she thought she was pulling her Taser, but accidentally drew her firearm.

Check out the video – D.L. seemed totally defeated by the news of Potter's sentence. Although he accepts the killing was accidental, he still can’t understand why police officers like her end up getting such light sentences in fatal shootings.

He compares Daunte's death to the 2009 Oscar Grant killing in Oakland ... where the officer also got 2 years for manslaughter. He was released on parole after serving just 11 months.

Ronald Bruner Jr. -- ex-drummer for Suicidal Tendencies -- was arrested in Burbank, CA for public intoxication after getting pissy, if you will ... with his rideshare driver.

Burbank PD tells TMZ the driver called cops on Sunday to complain about Ronald getting difficult during his ride. When officers arrived, they say they found the rocker wasted in the back of the vehicle, and worst of all ... he's apparently a fan of the "Wiz!"

Yep, he allegedly urinated all over the backseat.

Bruner was arrested and booked for public intoxication -- and about 12 hours later, cops released him with a citation and a court date.

RBJ started professionally playing drums at the age of 15, jumping from band to band until landing a spot in the punk rock group Suicidal Tendencies, and jammed with them for 7 years. He also played with the Stanley Clarke Band, which earned a 2010 Grammy for Best Contemporary Jazz Album.

Just days after Saints star Alvin Kamara was arrested for felony battery, two other men have been charged in connection with the alleged beating of a man in Las Vegas during Pro Bowl weekend.

TMZ Sports has learned two men -- Darrin Young and Percy Harris -- turned themselves in to Clark County jail on February 14 ... and both were booked on battery resulting in substantial bodily harm.

It's the same charge that 26-year-old Kamara is facing -- a felony -- that can carry up to 5 years in prison, if convicted.

As for what happened ... there are a few versions of the story, depending on who you ask.

Police say surveillance video show Kamara pushing a man outside a nightclub on Las Vegas Blvd. ... before punching the man at least 8 times.

According to an incident report, Kamara's friends then got in on the action ... punching and stomping the man.

Due to his injuries, the guy had to be treated at a local hospital.

The incident occurred early Saturday morning ... but Kamara wasn't arrested until after the Pro Bowl (he caught 4 passes during the game) on Sunday.

And, that's caused controversy ... 'cause the NFL allowed the Saints superstar to play in the game, despite knowing police wanted to speak with him in connection to an alleged battery.

After the game, Kamara spoke to investigators and admitted to hitting the man ... claiming the guy said something disrespectful to his group.

However, cops say CCTV shows Kamara hitting the man at least 8 times.

But, Kamara's attorneys believe there is more to the story.

"Alvin Kamara has gained a well-deserved reputation for being a hard-working and community-minded individual. The recent Las Vegas allegations are not consistent with who Mr. Kamara has shown himself to be in both his public and private life."

"Therefore, we are conducting our own investigation into all of the circumstances and individuals associated with this matter to determine both the facts and motivations of all involved."

After the Valentine's Day arrests, three men have now been charged in total for the alleged attack.

Nick Saban brought up former Alabama star Henry Ruggs in an emotional speech last month ... saying if Ruggs' friends were better leaders, they could have prevented his tragic accident.

Saban led a discussion at the Alabama Football Coaches Association convention ... and at one point, explained how players care "more than ever before" about what others think of them -- and how it's affecting their opportunities to be a role model.

The Crimson Tide coach used two examples to get his point across -- one being Ruggs' serious fatal DUI crash in November, in which 23-year-old Tina Tintor died.

"Well, if there was a player in Las Vegas who was drinking at 3 o'clock in the morning with his buddies and his girlfriend and somebody would have taken his keys away," Saban said, "[it] probably would have pissed him off, probably would have made him mad. [He] probably wouldn't have thought very much of you for doing that."

"But would he be better off now, or is he better off where he was going 156 MPH and running into the ass-end of somebody and killing 'em?"

Saban explains Ruggs had zero issues in Tuscaloosa and is a "good kid" ... but now, his career is in jeopardy and he faces a mountain of legal issues.

While he's not saying Ruggs wasn't responsible for his own decisions, it's clear Saban believes someone close to him could have helped during a moment of weakness.

"So what kinda friend were you?" Saban asked. "What kinda leader were you when you allowed the guy to do it? But nobody wants to do it because they're afraid of what somebody's gonna think of you."

Saban's quotes are getting mixed reviews on social media -- with some saying it's Ruggs' fault and his alone, and others claiming the coach is spreading invaluable knowledge.

'Tiger King' star Jeff Lowe and his wife just copped plea deals in their drunk driving case ... and they will NOT serve any time behind bars.

Prosecutors in Oklahoma tell TMZ ... Jeff and Lauren Lowe each pled no contest to a misdemeanor charge of DWI and will pay a fine and court costs to put the incident behind them.

We're told there will be no jail time or probation for either Jeff or Lauren ... with prosecutors saying this is a typical outcome for these types of cases in Oklahoma City.

TMZ broke the story ... Jeff and Lauren were busted back in June after cops pulled them over in a white Range Rover. Police said they were both driving before the bust, which is why both were ultimately hit with the charge.

Tina Tintor and her dog have been memorialized with a mural in Las Vegas ... three months after they tragically died there in a car crash involving former NFL star Henry Ruggs.

The art was just painted on a wall near the wreck site -- showing a depiction of Tina and her Golden Retriever, Max, smiling in front of a blue background.

The artist painted both of their names in pink lettering above their pictures ... and added, "In loving memory."

In front of the art -- which sits on the corner of the intersection near where the two were hit by Ruggs' Corvette on Nov. 2 -- family, friends and supporters have continued to leave photographs, candles and flowers.

Tintor's uncle told KLAS in Vegas that he organized the painting of the mural following Tina's death.

As we previously reported, investigators say Tintor burned to death after officials say Ruggs was speeding with a .161 BAC before he rammed his sportscar into the back of her RAV4.

She was just 23 years old.