Crime & Arrests

Mason Greenwood -- star forward for Manchester United -- is no longer facing charges for attempted rape and assault ... after he was arrested for the alleged crimes last year.

The Greater Manchester police announced prosecutors dropped the charges on Thursday ... saying the 21-year-old soccer player will "no longer faces criminal proceedings in relation to this."

As for why they opted to no longer pursue the serious charges, The Athletic spoke to prosecutors handling the case who said it was a "combination of the withdrawal of key witnesses and new material that came to light", saying "there was no longer a realistic prospect of conviction."

Police Superintendent Michaela Kerr issued a statement after the decision was made, saying, "this decision has not been taken lightly."

"Despite the media and public’s interest in this case, we have decided not to comment on it in any further detail."

As we previously reported, a woman made allegations against the soccer star on social media in early 2022 ... and Greenwood was later arrested and charged with attempted rape, controlling and coercive behavior and assault causing bodily harm.

At the time, Greenwood -- who signed with Man United in 2018 -- was suspended by the team after the allegations came to light.

Nike also ended their deal with Greenwood saying they were "deeply disturbed by the allegations."

A 19-year-old has been arrested and booked in Iowa for what cops say was a phony charity scam that raked in tens of thousands ... all from people who believed she had cancer.

The Eldridge Police Department rang up Madison Russo on a first-degree theft charge this week, which carries a maximum sentence of up to 10 years in prison if convicted. She was arrested on Jan. 23, but has since bonded out ... and is due back in court on March 2.

Cops allege Russo lied about 3 different diagnoses that she'd publicly been touting for at least a year ... including leukemia, pancreatic cancer and a tumor "the size of a football."

Throughout much of 2022, Russo went viral on TikTok while documenting her health journey -- which the authorities are now saying was completely made-up ... and which entered criminal territory after she raised upwards of $37k on GoFundMe from 439 donors.

On social media, she was often seen adorned in hospital-like paraphernalia ... IV bags, tubes that ran through her nose and medical tape/gauze -- suggesting she was undergoing treatment. All of that, however, was phony and just an act -- so alleges Eldridge PD.

Court docs reportedly lay out what police say they found at Russo's apartment ... in addition to some of the medical supplies listed above, they allege they discovered a wig, pills for nausea in a relative's name and more. In other words, they're claiming these were all props.

In addition, Eldridge PD says they subpoenaed Russo's medical records ... and allege she'd never been diagnosed with cancer at any nearby hospitals. The cops say she got on their radar after people wrote in saying some of what they saw on social media seemed fishy.

Eagles offensive lineman Josh Sills has been indicted on rape and kidnapping charges ... just 11 days before Philadelphia is slated to play the Chiefs in Super Bowl LVII.

According to prosecutors in Ohio, the charges stem from an incident that happened in Guernsey County back on Dec. 5, 2019.

Officials allege that Sills -- a rookie reserve lineman for the Eagles who made the team this year as an undrafted free agent -- "engaged in sexual activity that was not consensual and held a victim against her will."

Prosecutors say the Guernsey County Sheriff's Office conducted an investigation into the case -- and a grand jury eventually indicted Sills on one felony count of rape and one felony count of kidnapping this week.

The 25-year-old is slated to appear in court on the matter on Feb. 16 -- just four days after the Super Bowl.

Sills -- who played high school football in Ohio -- attended both West Virginia and Oklahoma State during his college career. He played just a handful of snaps for the Eagles this season, appearing in just one game against the Cardinals on Oct. 9.

The Eagles have yet to publicly comment on the charges. They're scheduled to play against Kansas City on Feb. 12 in Arizona.

Infamous con artist Anna Delvey -- whose story became a big Netflix hit -- is planning to drop some knowledge on Harvard students ... adding to her list of post-prison gigs.

Delvey, AKA Anna Sorkin, is gearing up to speak to an MBA class at the prestigious university ... according to Page Six. Cambridge has some time to brace itself as it's reportedly just in the planning stages at this point.

Anna was convicted on multiple fraud charges in 2019 ... including 4 counts of theft services and 3 counts of grand larceny while pretending to be a German heiress named Anna Delvey.

She was sentenced to four to 12 years in prison, but got out in February 2021. The following year, "Inventing Anna" -- the story about her life and crimes -- dropped on Netflix and became a huge hit.

Of course, the Harvard gig might come as a shock to some ... given the fact Anna, who is currently under house arrest, has an impressive criminal resume. But, she's been doing quite a bit despite it.

You'll recall, she put on a high-end art exhibit while locked up in ICE Detention ... and even recently hosted a party downtown.

Apparently, this won't be the first time Anna has spoken to college students -- she's already addressed some NYU students, and Oxford is also interested in having her speak too.

Some of Hollywood's biggest names, plus a skateboarding legend, are pitching in to help Tyre Nichols' mother and stepdad ... with big donations to his memorial fund.

TMZ combed through more than 33,000 donations to Tyre's official GoFundMe and found a ton of celebs who donated money.

"Love Song" singer Sara Bareilles, pro skateboarder Tony Hawk and comedian Lil Rel Howery each pledged $1,000 ... as did "Shea Butter Baby" singer Ari Lennox.

The fundraiser is being organized by Tyre's mom, RowVaughn Wells, who says her and her husband's lives have been turned upside down by Tyre's death, which came after he was brutally beaten by Memphis police.

Lil Rel's been outspoken about the tragedy, saying Tyre was a peaceful person who should still be alive.

Tyre's mom says the donations will help cover the costs for her and her husband's mental health services, plus help them afford to take time off from their 9-5 jobs to focus on "seeking proper justice" for Tyre.

What's more, Tyre's mom says the family wants to build a memorial skate park for Tyre "in honor of his love for skating and sunsets."

Tony, the most famous skateboarder ever, appears all-in on building a skate park in Tyre's honor ... he reposted a video of Tyre skating, along with the caption, "Help Tyre's family (and honor him with a skatepark)."

Other donations pouring in from Hollywood include ... $2,300 from "Watchmen" screenwriter Damon Lindelof, $1,500 from "As Told By Ginger" writer Emily Kapnek and $5,000 from Madonna's manager, Guy Oseary.

An actor who appeared in the Oscar-winning film, "Dances With Wolves," was arrested in Nevada for sexually assaulting underage girls and other serious felonies, ending a two-decade crime spree.

Nathan Chasing Horse was rounded up Tuesday by a SWAT team near his home in Las Vegas, where he lives with his 5 wives. He reportedly planned for his wives to take "suicide pills" and prepare for a shootout with police. He was booked in the Clark County Jail for child abuse or neglect, sex assault, sex assault against a child and sex trafficking of an adult.

According to the 50-page search warrant, Chasing Horse targeted young Native American girls and used his good reputation among tribes in the U.S. and Canada to lure them into his secret web. Known as a "medicine man," Chasing Horse performed healing rituals and held spiritual get-togethers ... but it was allegedly all to exploit his victims as the leader of a cult named, "The Circle."

Las Vegas cops say they've identified six alleged victims, some of whom were under 13. Chasing Horse allegedly recorded his sexual assaults and arranged sexual encounters between his victims and other men who would pay him.

The police investigation began with a tip in Oct. 2020.

Sex crime allegations against Chasing Horse stretch back to the early 2000s and not just in Nevada, but also in Montana and South Dakota. Chasing Horse has not been charged with crimes in those other states.

The charges against Amar'e Stoudemire stemming from an alleged domestic violence incident at his home in December have been dismissed ... after prosecutors say the victim did not cooperate with the investigation.

As we previously reported, STAT was accused of striking one of his teen daughters across the face at least twice.

But the 40-year-old adamantly denied the accusations ... saying he would never lay a finger on another human being.

The Miami-Dade State Attorney's Office confirmed to CBS Miami on Tuesday, the charges related to the Dec. 2022 incident have been dropped "due to the failure of the victim to cooperate in the prosecution of the criminal case."

Stoudemire tells TMZ Sports ... "A little over a month ago, my family’s world was turned upside down as I faced allegations that we all knew to be untrue – which I instantly and publicly denied."

"Today, I’m grateful that after a full investigation, all charges were dismissed. Fortunately, my family and most importantly, my incredible children are all doing well. My faith in the goodness we all possess has never wavered and has never been greater. My love for my family is without limits."

He continued ... "I am appreciative of all the respect and support received from family, friends and colleagues. Now that this chapter is closed, I look forward to all the great moments ahead with my family."

Former Tennessee Titans offensive coach Todd Downing has turned himself in ... and will begin serving his 48-hour sentence stemming from his DUI arrest in November.

TMZ Sports has confirmed ... Downing surrendered to the Williamson County Sheriff's Department Tuesday and is in police custody at the Williamson County jail.

Tennessee Highway Patrol officers claimed Todd was "traveling at a high rate of speed" on Interstate 65 at around 2:30 AM.

Downing was arrested in November ... just hours after the Titans defeated the Green Bay Packers on Thursday Night Football.

Downing, 42, was arrested and booked on DUI and speeding charges.

At the time of Downing's arrest, head coach Mike Vrabel said the Titans have a policy in place that provides rides to members of the org. if they ever need one.

Downing has been in the NFL since 2003 ... starting out as a football systems analyst with the Vikings before working for the Rams, Lions, Raiders, and Titans.

Civil rights attorney Ben Crump confirmed that Kamala Harris will also be in attendance at Tyre's funeral.

Tyre Nichols' family is getting support from the one family that probably best understands their pain ... TMZ has learned George Floyd's loved ones will be at Tyre's funeral for a face-to-face meeting.

Famed civil rights attorney, Ben Crump is representing the Nichols family -- just as he did for George's -- and he tells us, several members of the Floyd family will be at the ceremony Wednesday in Memphis.

We're told the Floyds sent their condolences to Tyre's family after he was so badly beaten by Memphis police, he ended up in a hospital and died -- but the families have yet to meet in person.

That will change when they meet up at the Mississippi Boulevard Christian Church in Memphis for the funeral.

Meanwhile, Crump tells us Tyre's family has been invited to join ongoing efforts to get the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act passed by Congress ... and they're all on board.

We're told President Biden -- who spoke to Tyre's mom, RowVaughn Wells, and stepfather, Rodney Wells, Friday -- is trying to get Congress to turn its focus back on federal police reform legislation. He's invited Tyre's folks to be part of the push to get it signed into law.

A White House official tells TMZ ... the administration is sending 4 dignitaries to the funeral, including senior advisor, and former Atlanta mayor, Keisha Lance Bottoms.

Crump says Tyre's kin will schedule meetings with lawmakers and continue speaking out in favor of police reform -- 2 things the Floyd family's been doing since George was murdered by Minneapolis police.

The George Floyd Justice in Policing Act passed the House in 2021, but stalled in the Senate. Biden renewed his call to pass the act Friday -- after the Tyre arrest body cam was released -- and is urging Republicans in Congress to help Democrats pass police reform.

R. Kelly is no longer facing sex-abuse charges in Chicago, where a prosecutor's decided to drop several pending charges, but that news isn't swinging his mood ... the singer still has plenty of other troubles.

Kelly's attorney, Jennifer Bonjean, tells us she spoke with Kelly after Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx announced she no longer would pursue the case because the disgraced R&B star has already been convicted in 2 federal courts of similar crimes and "is looking at the possibility of never walking out of prison again."

Bonjean tells TMZ, “There is no real sense of relief. He is still fighting for his life. He is facing decades in prison." But, she added that Foxx made "the right move" with her decision.

Foxx held a presser Monday to make the announcement, acknowledging that some of the accusers may be disappointed, but "we believe justice has been served."

As we reported ... Kelly was accused of sexually abusing 4 people, 3 of whom were minors, in the Chicago case. Foxx says she will ask the judge Tuesday to dismiss the charges against Kelly.

Sen. Ted Cruz is standing his ground, refusing to apologize to Paul Pelosi for sharing conspiracy theories about the hammer attack ... even after seeing the shocking police video of what went down.

The Senator was at Reagan National Airport when we got his reaction to the body cam showing David DePape smash Pelosi in the head with a hammer -- he called it the "utterly unacceptable" actions of a "deranged lunatic."

Although he was quick to condemn DePape ... Cruz got much quieter when we asked if he'd apologized to Pelosi for supporting, or at the very least, promoting theories suggesting there was something shady about the details of the attack.

In one instance, he reshared a tweet that shot holes in the idea DePape was "some kind of militant right winger" ... despite reports he actually had been posting on far-right political blogs.

As we reported, DePape attacked Pelosi with a hammer inside his and then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's SF home.

DePape -- who's since been charged with attempted murder -- told the FBI he was planning on shattering the Congresswoman's kneecaps, because he thought she was a liar.

Despite all that information, the body cam and surveillance videos showing DePape smash a back door to enter the Pelosi home ... Sen. Cruz is refusing to even acknowledge an apology might be appropriate.

More first responders have now been fired in the wake of Tyre Nichols' death ... and this time it's a fire lieutenant and two EMTs who responded to the scene.

The Memphis Fire Department announced Monday it fired three members of Engine 55 ... Lieutenant Michelle Whitaker and EMTs Robert Long and JaMicheal Sandridge for violating numerous policies and protocols during Tyre's arrest.

The department says Engine 55 was dispatched to the scene, and when they got there Tyre was on the ground in handcuffs leaning against a police car.

MFD says their investigation concluded the EMTs, who were called for a person being pepper sprayed, failed to conduct an adequate patient assessment on Tyre ... and after their initial interaction with him, they requested an ambulance, which got there about 15 minutes after EMTs arrived.

All the while, the Fire Department says Lt. Whitaker remained in the fire engine with the driver.

MFD says both EMTs and Lt. Whitaker "violated numerous MFD policies and protocols" and they've all been fired.

As you know, Memphis police brutally beat Tyre and he complained of shortness of breath while being arrested ... he was taken to a hospital where 3 days later, he died. The 5 cops involved in the arrest have been fired and charged with murder.

The charges 5 ex-Memphis PD officers are facing in the Tyre Nichols murder case can, and should, be tweaked based on evidence and what's most likely to secure convictions ... according to an NAACP chief.

We spoke to Van Turner Jr. -- the President of Memphis' NAACP branch -- Monday on "TMZ Live" to discuss the fallout of the release of bodycam and surveillance footage depicting the fatal beating Tyre endured at the hands of officers earlier this month.

There's been talk about a possible defense the officers could argue based on some of what they've been charged with -- 2nd-degree murder and kidnapping -- and how they could potentially be acquitted. So, the question becomes ... are different charges more appropriate?

Turner Jr. says he believes the investigation is still very much fluid and, depending on further evidence that surfaces, it would be totally appropriate to tweak the charges against these men -- potentially upgrading them to felony first-degree murder.

We also asked Van if the release of the bodycam footage has prompted other citizens to come forward about run-ins with MPD's SCORPION Unit -- which has since been disbanded amid outrage.

He says there have been more accounts about the way they conduct their business ... and there's now a wider investigation into whether the way they handled Tyre was SOP for that group of cops.

Bottom line ... there's still a lot of unanswered questions and a lot more accountability that needs to be reached -- and the city of Memphis, not to mention the rest of the country, are loudly demanding it happen sooner than later.

Former University of Georgia quarterback Stetson Bennett was arrested Sunday morning for public intoxication in Dallas, TMZ Sports has confirmed.

Dallas PD tells us they responded to a report of a man banging on doors around 6:10 AM this morning. When cops arrived, they located Bennett, 25, and determined he was intoxicated. Bennett was arrested for public intoxication and taken to the City Detention Center.

Bennett, 25, had been training for the NFL Draft in Fort Worth, TX. The 5'10", 190 lb. quarterback is all over the place when it comes to mock drafts ... with some writers and "experts" having him drafted in the early mid-rounds, to not being picked at all.

He's not the prototypical professional QB, but Stetson's one of the most accomplished college signal-callers ever. SB lead his UGA Bulldogs to a perfect 15-0 season, an SEC title, and a National Championship this season (they won back-to-back National titles) ... after starting his college career as a walk-on.

Bennett didn't win the Heisman (Caleb Williams, USC), but was a finalist for the prestigious award this year. He took home the Manning Award, given to the best college QB in America.

Bennett likely would've been in Alabama this week for the Senior Bowl, but turned down an invitation to play in the game, instead reportedly telling game officials he wanted to focus on preparing for the NFL Combine.

Al Sharpton went in on the fired Memphis police officers accused of murdering Tyre Nichols, saying the fact the 5 ex-cops are all Black makes the situation even worse.

We caught up with the Reverend on Friday outside NBC Studios in NYC ... and he didn't mince words after the release of police body cam footage showing Tyre's deadly assault.

The Rev told us ... "I want to make it clear: these five officers are Black does not make it less. In fact, it's more egregious that some black cops in a town where MLK gave his life, that's where he was killed, would do this is outrageous."

Of course, Al was referring to the fatal shooting of Martin Luther King Jr. in Memphis, TN, on April 4, 1968. James Earl Ray confessed to the murder and died of liver disease in prison.

What's more, the Rev said the ex-officers did a disservice to Black people trying to change the justice system from within ... "We fought to get them on the [police] force to correct the force, not to do this."

He also took a swipe at Congress for failing to pass into law the 2021 George Floyd Act, which would have increased accountability for police misconduct.

The Rev said ... "I put this at the feet of those that would not vote for federal law after George Floyd, there were no laws changed!"

Floyd, as you know, was infamously killed in 2020 by then-Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, who was convicted of the homicide and sentenced to decades behind bars.

Al wrapped things up by urging anyone protesting in Tyre's name not to engage in violence. He said if they do riot it will only help the accused officers defend themselves in the criminal case.

Memphis police just released the graphic body cam footage from Tyre Nichols' brutal arrest -- and the video is every bit as disturbing as Tyre's family and law enforcement have described it.

In the clips, pulled from both body cam and overhead cameras, you see officers swarm Tyre -- demanding he get down and give up his hands. Although he's laying on his side with an officer on top of him, he's hesitant to lie flat on his stomach.

One officer threatens to deploy his Taser, and after about a minute-long struggle ... Tyre gets up to start running, and one of the cops fires his Taser, but he gets away.

About 7 minutes later, they catch up to Tyre in a residential neighborhood, and this is when it gets brutal. While he's pinned to the ground -- reportedly about 100 yards from his family's home -- Tyre repeatedly yells, "Mom!!!"

Then one officer kicks him twice, and another yells, "Watch out, I'mma baton the f**k out you," and then strikes Tyre twice before they pull him up on his feet.

While 2 officers are holding him with his hands behind his back ... another punches Tyre 5 times with a closed fist, sending him back down to his knees again.

Eventually, officers get Tyre handcuffed, put him up against a police cruiser and he writhes in pain for nearly 20 minutes before going limp.

As you know, the 5 Memphis PD officers stopped Tyre on Jan. 7 on suspicion of reckless driving ... but from the start, the cops were hyper-aggressive. Even the video does not make it clear why things got violent that quickly.

Once other officers show up to the scene, one of the cops involved in the beating says Tyre attempted to grab for another officer's gun -- causing them to unleash on him.

After the vicious beating ... Tyre was rushed to St. Francis Hospital because he was complaining he was short of breath. He was admitted in critical condition, and died in the hospital on January 10.

Civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who's representing Tyre's family, reviewed the body cam footage with the family days before it was released, and likened the horrific scene to the beating of Rodney King in 1991.

The 5 Memphis police officers involved in the traffic stop -- Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Emmitt Martin III, Desmond Mills Jr., and Justin Smith -- have been fired and charged with second-degree murder.

They also face additional charges of official misconduct, official oppression and aggravated kidnapping. Four of the 5 have posted bail and were released as of Friday morning.

Tyre's cause of death has not been released and the incident is being investigated by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Department of Justice.