Crime & Arrests

Three men have been charged in connection with the killing of James "Whitey" Bulger, one of America's most notorious mobsters, nearly 4 years after he was beaten to death in federal prison.

The U.S. Attorney's office charged Fotios "Freddy" Geas, Paul "Pauly" J. DeCologero, and Sean McKinnon with conspiracy to commit first-degree murder Thursday in connection with Bulger's killing back in 2018 at the U.S. Penitentiary Hazleton in Bruceton Mills, WV.

Geas and DeCologero are accused of hitting Bulger multiple times in the head, causing his death -- they've also been charged with aiding and abetting first-degree murder and assault resulting in serious bodily injury.

McKinnon faces a separate charge for making false statements to a federal agent.

As we reported, Bulger was beaten with a lock in a sock, away from security cameras, until he was unconscious -- the alleged perps also attempted to gouge out his eyes with some type of shiv, but were unsuccessful.

Young Thug sat in an Atlanta courtroom on Thursday only to be denied bond again in his ongoing YSL Rico case.

Thug’s lawyer, Brian Steel, informed the court the rapper was willing to comply with a 24-hour home confinement and argued the prosecution was creating a false narrative by using 2014 lyrics as evidence, but that still wasn't enough to sway the judge.

As for the prosecution, they referred to Thugger as the “General” of the entire YSL regime, and believe he should remain locked up.

This makes Thug’s third bond denial since he was arrested back in May, and at this rate, he will be behind bars until at least January.

Young Thug and Gunna have both been behind bars -- part of a 56-count indictment -- which included weapons and drugs charges. There were even allegations YT was tied to possible shootings and murders.

The hits keep coming for Britney Spears' first husband Jason Alexander ... after serving his sentence for crashing Britney's wedding, he's now facing felony charges for an old alleged crime.

The Napa County Sheriff tells TMZ ... Jason was booked today on an arrest warrant issued back in 2016 stemming from an alleged jewelry theft, and he's been charged with two felonies.

We're told Jason is charged with grand theft and buying/receiving stolen property ... and he was picked up Tuesday from Ventura County jail by Napa authorities after serving a 60-day sentence for crashing Britney's wedding.

TMZ broke the story ... Jason had a felony warrant out for his arrest in Napa County when he got busted in June at Britney's ceremony. Cops in Napa say Jason swiped a $2,000 bracelet from a woman there in 2015 when he was a houseguest.

As we first told you ... cops say Jason had been living in the woman's house for only a few weeks when she claims she noticed jewelry missing from her bedroom. Police say Jason later admitted to the woman he stole her diamond and sapphire tennis bracelet, valued at $2k, and pawned it off.

Now, the alleged theft is coming back to bite him.

Brittney Griner's plan to appeal her 9-year Russian prison sentence over a weed pen is underway ... but Onyx rapper Fredro Starr feels there are bigger political forces in play.

In a new interview clip from VladTV, Fredro actually admitted to smoking plenty of weed on Russian soil on several occasions!!!

According to Fredro's travels, Russia not only has better weed than top dog California, but they grow it too ... and from the picture he paints, recreational use sounds pretty common in the region.

He also suggests the country's hip hop scene is very liberal, alluding to the notion a 9-year punishment for a simple weed pen doesn't add up.

Griner officially filed her appeal on Monday, in conjunction with the United States government actively working for her release, calling her detainment unjust.

The last time we talked to Fredro, he was talking about a different kind of smoking ... as in torching Cypress Hill during their somewhat underpromoted Verzuz.

The Australian actress whose family claimed she went missing after going on a date with someone she met online has been found ... turns out, cops say she's been in jail the whole time!!!

Here's the deal ... Laura McCulloch, an actress and singer in Los Angeles, scared the crap out of her family back in Australia when she seemingly fell off the grid after going on a first date.

Laura's family cried to Australian news outlets over the weekend, saying she was last seen Friday at a restaurant in Santa Monica, then failed to show up to her day job and yoga class. The family says they became concerned when they couldn't reach her by phone and reported her as missing to the LAPD.

But, here's what really happened.

Santa Monica Police tell TMZ ... Laura was arrested Friday night in Santa Monica after police got a call to the popular 3rd Street Promenade for a reported battery.

Cops say when they got to the scene, they were told Laura threw a drink at a fellow diner and their kid.

It doesn't sound like Laura is getting a second date with her mystery man ... police say when they approached her, she showed obvious signs of intoxication and charged at the officers while shouting expletives.

Cops say they tried to calm her down, but Laura continued being aggressive ... and when police went to detain her, officers say she became physically combative, kicking at officers and biting a cop on the shoulder.

Laura was booked into Santa Monica Jail early Saturday morning for public intoxication and resisting arrest, and we're told she spent the weekend behind bars and did not contact anyone she knows.

We're told the actress went before a judge Tuesday and is still in custody.

Kim Zolciak's daughter, Ariana, denied drinking and driving after crashing into another vehicle ... but cops say she did admit to vaping the night before.

According to the police report, obtained by TMZ, the 20-year-old reality star denied drinking any alcohol during her DUI bust over the weekend. Officers informed Zolciak they could smell alcohol on her breath and she allegedly stated the smell could be coming from her clothing.

Cops say Ariana admitted she "smoked a THC vape pen the night before but did not drink." During the back and forth, she maintained she had not been drinking -- but cops say she had a "noticeable sway" during field sobriety tests.

TMZ broke the story -- Ariana was arrested in Forsyth County, GA, Saturday, and booked on 3 charges ... misdemeanor DUI, misdemeanor improper/erratic lane change, and misdemeanor underage alcohol possession/purchase of alcohol.

The whole thing happened after she allegedly hit another vehicle.

Ariana's attorney, Justin Spizman tells us, "Despite Ariana’s constant invocation that she was upset and anxious from the minor accident, the officer incorrectly concluded she was impaired by alcohol. That was not the case. She wholly denies these allegations and intends to fight these charges because she is not guilty of them.”

Michelle Branch has filed for divorce from Patrick Carney, a move that comes just days after cheating allegations and the singer's domestic assault arrest.

Branch filed divorce docs in Tennessee Friday, obtained by TMZ, she states irreconcilable differences as the reason for the split.

Michelle and Carney, who is the drummer of The Black Keys, have two young kids together. She's asking for child support and for custody ... but to allow for Patrick to have time with the kids. Branch is also requesting Patrick pay legal fees.

The estranged couple is also required to complete a parenting court, which the judge orders in all cases out of that specific court.

TMZ broke the story, Michelle and Patrick split last week just hours after she tweeted out accusing him of cheating. At the time, Michelle told us, "To say that I am totally devastated doesn’t even come close to describing how I feel for myself and for my family. The rug has been completely pulled from underneath me and now I must figure out how to move forward. With such small children, I ask for privacy and kindness.”

However, we learned shortly after the tweet, cops were called to Patrick and Michelle's home -- where the singer admitted to striking her husband one or two times in the face -- she was arrested for domestic assault. She was released from custody shortly after the arrest because she's breastfeeding their infant daughter.

Brittney Griner is fighting back in her drug case in Russia -- formally filing an appeal of her conviction in the foreign country, days after she was sentenced to 9 years behind bars there.

Griner's attorney confirmed the filing to CNN on Monday. It's not immediately known what the grounds of the appeal are, or when it will be heard in court.

The move, though, was expected -- after Griner was convicted and sentenced on Aug. 4. The WNBA superstar admitted to having hashish oil in her luggage at a Moscow airport, but she told a courtroom she packed it inadvertently and had no intentions at all of breaking the law.

Regardless of the appeal process, the U.S. -- which has called Griner wrongfully detained -- is continuing attempts to strike a prisoner swap deal with Russia in order to bring the 31-year-old home.

"I call on Russia to release her immediately so she can be with her wife, loved ones, friends and teammates," Biden said following her conviction earlier this month.

"My administration will continue to work tirelessly and pursue every possible avenue to bring Brittney and Paul Whelan home safely as soon as possible."

R. Kelly was once prosecuted for allegedly abusing a minor -- an infamous case from 2008 in which she never testified ... but that's all about to change now as he heads to trial anew.

The disgraced singer, who's already been convicted of sex crimes in New York and faces 30 years behind bars, has another day in court ahead of him. Come Monday, his federal trial in Chicago -- for which he's facing similar charges and sentencing -- is going to begin.

On top of the 4 accusers in this Chicago case -- all of whom will testify -- the woman who Kelly was accused of urinating on on tape at just age 14, among other heinous crimes, is set to take the stand as well ... to speak on the '08 case and her experience with him in general.

Per new court filings, cited by AP, prosecutors say the unidentified alleged victim from back then -- now in her 30s -- will address claims that R. Kelly rigged the 2008 case in an attempt to obstruct justice ... including allegedly paying off/threatening this woman at the time.

Many will recall ... Kelly was acquitted and went free, largely because the alleged victim refused to cooperate and testify. Now, it appears she'll explain why that happened, from her perspective, for the first time ever. Her identity has remained hidden all these years.

There's more ... these new filings say prosecutors plan to play that same VHS tape from '08 in court again as this current trial fires up. In addition to that, there are reportedly going to be at least 3 other videos presented as evidence in court. Unclear if they all pertain to 2008.

Prosecutors claim that R. Kelly had sex with/recorded the 2008 alleged victim hundreds of times between 1998 and 2000, a period when she was as young as 13 years old. They also acknowledge that some of these sex tapes had been stolen and peddled on the street.

Kim Zolciak-Biermann's daughter, Ariana, was arrested for DUI this weekend ... TMZ has learned.

The 20-year-old social media influencer and reality star was busted Saturday in Forsyth County, GA, and then booked on 3 separate charges ... misdemeanor DUI driving under the influence of alcohol, misdemeanor improper/erratic lane change and underage alcohol possession/purchase of alcohol -- this according to jail records and personnel.

We're told she bonded out the same day -- unclear what time of day this was, but we imagine it was early morning. There's no narrative yet on what exactly may have happened, but we do know her on-and-off boyfriend, 20-year-old Hudson McLeroy, was also arrested on alcohol-related charges this morning ... seemingly while he was with Ariana in the car.

He was also booked for DUI, plus furnishing/purchasing alcohol under 21 and violating his driving permit. Based on Ariana's charges, though, it would appear she was behind the wheel in this instance. Hudson has since been released on bond ... so they're both out.

The only other thing of note is that Ariana was processed with the surname Zolciak (her mom's maiden name), and not her adopted father's name, Biermann. Kroy Biermann adopted both Ari and Brielle back in 2013 -- but it's unclear who their biological father(s) are.

In any case ... she's got a court date ahead of her. And, she'll have company too, it seems.

Michelle Branch was arrested for allegedly slapping her estranged husband, Patrick Carney, in the face ... this in the wake of her claim he cheated on her.

According to docs out of Nashville, obtained by TMZ, on Thursday at around 2 AM police were called to their home for a possible domestic disturbance. Michelle admitted she had slapped Patrick in the face "one to two times," according to court docs.

Patrick did not have any visible injuries and Michelle was taken into custody. Her bail was set at $1,000 ... and it appears she was released from custody early because she's breastfeeding the couple's 6-month-old.

TMZ broke the story, Branch and Carney are splitting after 3 years of marriage. She told us Thursday, "To say that I am totally devastated doesn't even come close to describing how I feel for myself and for my family. The rug has been completely pulled from underneath me and now I must figure out how to move forward. With such small children, I ask for privacy and kindness.”

The split announcement came just hours after Michelle tweeted accusing Carney of cheating.

Michelle was previously married to Teddy Landau from 2004 to 2015, but married Carney in 2019.

Novelist Salman Rushdie, who has received death threats for years because of his work, was just attacked and possibly stabbed during an event.

The author, who was formerly married to "Top Chef" host Padma Lakshmi, was set to give a speech Friday at the Chautauqua Institution in New York. Reports say Rushdie was on stage, when someone jumped up and struck him multiple times. Reports say Rushdie was stabbed during the incident.

His current condition is unknown, but the attacker has reportedly been taken into custody.

Rushdie's novel, "The Satanic Verses," sparked tons of controversy in the 80's ... with the book getting banned from Iran for being deemed blasphemous, as it had references that mocked the Prophet Muhammad and Islamic culture as a whole.

In 1989, Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Khomeini called on Muslims to kill the Indian-born writer and his publishers because of what he wrote.

Police say security footage of OnlyFans model Courtney Tailor getting physical with her now-deceased BF Christian Obumseli was from just months before his murder ... and her arrest warrant paints a gruesome picture of Christian's death.

According to the warrant, obtained by TMZ, the elevator security footage was taken in February ... in the video, it appears that Courtney is unable to select her floor, resulting in her punching the screen in frustration.

Christian appears to enter after her, and tries to calm her down, she then turns to him and begins hitting him. She continues to beat him and tug on his hair before he tries to hold her down and push her back.

As we reported, Courtney was charged with second-degree murder Wednesday in connection to Christian's death.

According to the warrant, "Courtney and Christian had a tempestuous relationship since Nov 2020, with multiple incidents of domestic violence from both sides over the period of the relationship."

The docs say Courtney was even arrested in July of last year in Vegas for domestic battery against him.

Cops say her mom confirmed she was on the phone with Courtney at the time of the stabbing and told officers she heard her daughter yelling at Christian to leave and saying he was "lying."

Marshawn Lynch was dragged out of his car by the hood of his sweatshirt and forcibly thrown to the ground during his DUI arrest earlier this week ... new police video shows.

In the footage, which was captured shortly after cops had begun questioning the former NFL star on Aug. 9 in Las Vegas, you can see Lynch was leaned back in the driver's seat of a 2020 Shelby GT500 -- appearing to be uncooperative with cops who were asking him to get out of the ride.

The officers can be heard in the video asking Lynch repeatedly to step out of the car -- but Lynch refused continuously, asking over and over again why he had to leave the vehicle.

After officers told him he was "obstructing an investigation," one of the cops reached in and grabbed him by the orange sweatshirt he was wearing.

The cop then threw the ex-Seattle Seahawks running back on the ground ... and told him, "Roll over. Hands behind your back. No more games today."

Officers then can be heard on the video saying he smelled like alcohol.

In police documents, obtained by TMZ Sports, cops say when they got Lynch back to the station, he was uncooperative there -- and said they "had to use a restraint chair" to draw blood from him after obtaining a search warrant.

Lynch was ultimately booked on several charges, including DUI. He's due in court for a hearing on the matter in December.

The 36-year-old's attorneys, Richard A. Schonfeld and David Z. Chesnoff, released a statement on the matter Thursday afternoon ... saying, "Marshawn was not pulled over for a DUI. Rather the vehicle was safely parked and not in operation. We are confident that when all evidence is presented, this will not be a DUI under Nevada law. Marshawn appreciates and is thankful for everyone’s concern and support."

8/11 -- We've obtained a teary-eyed Courtney's mug shot, law enforcement sources say she was detained in Hawaii and will be transported back to the main land.

Courtney's lawyer, Frank Prieto, tells TMZ ... her arrest is shocking because they believe there is clear evidence of self-defense.

Her lawyer claims Obumseli attacked and choked Courtney, leaving her "no choice but to meet force with force."

CT's attorney says she's been cooperating with the police investigation and offered to turn herself in if criminal charges were filed ... another reason they are disappointed in her sudden arrest.

We're told Courtney was seeking treatment in Hawaii for PTSD and other issues related to the case ... and her lawyer claims she is a victim of domestic violence and human trafficking.

OnlyFans model Courtney Tailor has been charged with murder in connection to the killing of her boyfriend earlier this year.

Tailor was reportedly arrested in Hawaii on Wednesday on a second-degree murder charge. She's said to have been in rehab there but, according to her attorney, who spoke to the Miami Herald, she's expected to be extradited to Florida soon.

Her lawyer adds ... "I'm completely shocked, especially since we were cooperating with the investigation and offered to voluntarily surrender her if she were charged. We look forward to clearing her name in court."

The arrest comes months after authorities were investigating the stabbing death of Christian Obumseli -- who was found deceased in the couple's Miami apartment. Tailor had previously told cops she did, in fact, stab him with a knife ... but insisted it was in self-defense.

Surveillance video from inside shows Tailor, after the fact, covered in blood from head to toe.

It initially seemed as though her explanation had worked, but now prosecutors apparently think there is enough evidence to prosecute her. Obumseli's family has insisted all along that they believe she killed him in cold blood.

Things weren't looking good for her, publicly, in the immediate aftermath of the incident. People dug up old interviews of her saying questionable things -- and she got confronted in a hotel lobby by an outraged bystander.

Marshawn Lynch's car appeared undrivable by the time cops arrived and busted him for DUI on Tuesday ... with one tire completely missing, and at least one other flattened.

TMZ Sports has obtained pictures of the 2020 Shelby GT500 cops believe Lynch was driving prior to his arrest ... showing the front-left wheel's rim resting on the pavement, with no tire in sight.

Witnesses tell us they saw Lynch parked at the scene around 5:45 AM -- roughly two hours before his arrest -- and claim at one point, the running back exited his car to sit on the curb with the driver-side door wide open.

We're told Lynch remained at the scene until cops arrived ... who ultimately determined he was impaired and arrested him for driving under the influence.

We're told Lynch left a trail of damage on the road until his car reached its resting point ... with visible marks on the pavement and curbs. As we previously reported, sources say Lynch was driving into roadside curbs prior to the arrest.

Lynch was taken to jail and booked for DUI -- he's also facing charges of failure/refusing to surrender proof of security, unregistered vehicle and failure to drive in a travel lane.