Crime & Arrests

Notorious domestic terrorist Ted Kaczynski, best known as the Unabomber, is dead ... according to prison officials.

The Federal Bureau of Prisons says Kaczynski was found dead Saturday morning in his cell at FMC Butner in North Carolina. So far, officials aren't saying anything about the cause of death.

Kaczynski had served most of his life sentence at Colorado supermax prison since his 1998 conviction. He was transferred to NC in 2021, so he could get better medical treatment.

ABC News first reported his death.

The Unabomber evaded law enforcement for almost 20 years, while pulling off a string of bombings, several of them deadly. For the longest time, the only image the public had of him was an FBI sketch.

Authorities finally figured out who he was when his infamous manifesto, "Industrial Society and Its Future" ... was published in 1995 in the Washington Post. Kaczynski's brother recognized the writing and went to cops.

The FBI tracked him down and arrested him the following year at a remote cabin in Montana.

Kaczynski eventually pleaded guilty to setting 16 explosions that killed 3 people and injured 23 others between 1978 and 1995.

He was 81.

A Colorado cop socked an unruly woman in the face while she was in handcuffs ... and the assault was caught on video, leading to the officer's firing.

Loveland Police Chief Tim Doran released the body cam footage Friday, which showed Russell Maranto and his fellow officers escorting Angelia Hall into a hospital room on May 20. Hall was taken to the medical center for evaluation after she was placed in protective custody for wandering in traffic and mumbling to herself.

The clip begins with Hall parking herself in a chair with her hands cuffed behind her back and getting belligerent with the cops, shouting and cursing at them.

Maranto rips a piece of paper out of Hall's hand and walks away with it. As a result, Hall goes berserk, demanding her paper back as Maranto returns to try to calm her down.

But Hall can't contain her anger and hocks a loogie at Maranto, who then slams his fist into her face, causing minor injuries.

YFN Lucci is rejecting a plea deal Georgia prosecutors offered him in his racketeering case ... we've learned Lucci's instead opting to go to trial to clear his name.

According to court docs, obtained by TMZ Hop Hop, Fulton County D.A. Fani Willis recommended a 20-year sentence, 17 of them in prison ... and in exchange, Lucci would have to plead guilty to multiple charges -- including felony murder, racketeering, aggravated assault and violation of the street gang terrorism and prevention act.

Lucci, whose real name is Rayshawn Bennett, is not interested in the offer. His attorneys, Drew Findling and Gabe Banks, tell us the plea offer is "absurd," and they strongly hinted the D.A. is intentionally dragging her feet -- they point out Lucci is still waiting to go to trial after 2.5 years in custody.

The attorneys also slammed Willis for focusing instead on "newer, high-profile cases that have completely monopolized the Court’s resources" and pointed out her "utter inability to prosecute complex cases."

They went on to say ... "Despite the obstacles consistently placed in the way of Mr. Bennett’s constitutional right to a speedy and fair trial, we continue to be ready and prepared to defend these false allegations."

"RuPaul's Drag Race" winner Tyra Sanchez is sashaying her way into major legal trouble ... after allegedly threatening to gun down a police officer.

According to the arrest report, obtained by TMZ, Sanchez -- whose real name is James William Ross IV -- got into a minor car crash with another driver, but when officers arrived on the scene last month in Starke, FL ... they say she jumped out of the car and started yelling at the cop.

The officer tried to calm down Tyra, but they say she wasn't having it, and when the cop tried to slap on handcuffs, she allegedly threatened to shoot the officer.

What's more, police say Tyra tried to reach into her car, at which point the officer put her in a bear hug ... and eventually deployed a taser, but it did squat to stop her.

Cops say Tyra took off on foot, but was apprehended a short distance away, and arrested for assault on a law enforcement officer and resisting without violence.

Fans of the competition series remember Tyra winning the second season, walking away with $25K and a ton of stardom. She retired in 2020, but pulled a Tom Brady and returned to action in 2022 on OnlyFans under the name "King Tyra."

Ross was also busted back in 2020 for spray-painting graffiti in Atlanta, writing, "Don't Move Here Ever" on the side of an apartment building.

Former President Donald Trump's indictments won't push him off the campaign trail ... he could use the legal drama to catapult himself back to the presidency, even if he's convicted.

Loyola Law School Professor Jessica Levinson joined us Friday on "TMZ Live," to break down the 37-count federal indictment -- it's the first ever against a former President, but she says if he plays it right, it won't block his path to a 2024 victory.

What's most shocking, perhaps, is Levinson says even if Trump loses in court -- he's also facing a NY state indictment -- there's nothing in the Constitution barring him from serving his term in a prison cell.

With all that in mind, Jessica thinks it should come down to a simple question -- do folks want to back a candidate who could be doing time while running the country?

She also clues us in on a potential tactic Trump's opponents could use to get some of his supporters.

As we reported, Trump was indicted once again Friday for allegedly taking boxes upon boxes of classified documents when he left the White House, and stashed them at Mar-a-Lago -- some of them were stored in a bathroom.

He's accused of breaking 7 different laws, including a whopping 31 counts of willful retention of national defense information.

Blueface might not be locked up at the moment, but if the new details about his recent Las Vegas robbery charge are true ... his freedom could be in jeopardy.

According to the police report, obtained by TMZ Hip Hop, Blueface, his pregnant girlfriend Chrisean Rock and several others in their entourage are accused of assaulting a woman ... on May 29 inside the Palms Casino.

Cops say the woman walked up to Chrisean and professed her love for the reality star, and congratulated her on her pregnancy ... but also proclaimed she didn't care for Blueface, and added a "F*** him" for good measure.

According to the report, Chrisean didn't appreciate the verbal jab at her man, and punched the woman in the left side of her face. Cops say Blueface then snatched her phone, put it in his back pocket and mockingly said, "This is mine now."

Officers say the woman was able to retrieve her phone from Blueface, but claims another man in the entourage clocked her with an uppercut!!!

During the melee, Blueface allegedly kicked the woman in the face and chest until security intervened ... and Blue, Chrisean and co. fled in a Dodge Charger.

Responding police officers reviewed hotel surveillance footage, as well as the cell phone footage showing the moment Chrisean hit the woman.

As we reported, Blueface got arrested Wednesday while in court for another, more serious, case -- he's charged with attempted murder for a shooting incident last year outside a Vegas strip club.

Donald Trump says he's been indicted by the feds over the classified documents he took with him to Mar-a-Lago when he left the White House at the end of his presidential term.

The former President got out in front of the indictment Thursday evening, announcing it before the Dept. of Justice did. He says the DOJ had informed his legal team he was being indicted ... and Trump's already proclaiming his innocence.

The indictment, handed up by a federal grand jury in Miami, reportedly includes at least 7 counts, but because the DOJ hasn't released it, there are no details yet about the specific charges. ABC is reporting the counts range from willful retention of national defense information to conspiracy related to a scheme to conceal to false statements and representations.

Trump says his initial court appearance to face the charges will be Tuesday at the federal courthouse in Miami. Echoing the thoughts of millions of Americans -- including his supporters and haters -- Trump says he never thought this would happen to a former U.S. President.

Make no mistake, this is historic ... Trump is the first former prez to ever face federal charges.

Remember, the feds say Trump took troves of classified docs to Mar-a-Lago ... where they allegedly sat in unsecured places, including a basement.

The FBI swarmed Mar-a-Lago back in August, seizing 11,000 documents.

The federal indictment comes a little over 2 months after Trump was indicted by a New York grand jury over his alleged involvement in the Stormy Daniels hush money case.

Drake is back in his dancehall bag ... thanks to a new collab with British Afroswing trailblazer J Hus that sounds primed for summer spins!!!

Both artists have been teasing fans something was brewing all week and unleashed the official audio for "Who Told You" on Thursday ... where they both harmonize over a tropical-tinged riddim and croon for women they desire.

The song is destined for J Hus' upcoming album "Don’t Say Militancy," whose album promo has been flooding the London streets ahead of his release date sometime this summer.

Drake and J Hus have a relationship even outside the studio ... Drizzy welcomed him onstage inside London's 02 Arena for the UK Assassination Vacation Tour back in 2019, following J Hus' release from prison for illegal knife possession.

Blueface wasn't in a Las Vegas jail cell for too long after being arrested for robbery Wednesday afternoon -- and Jaidyn Alexis, mother of his 2 children, was waiting outside with the appropriate party favors.

TMZ Hip Hop broke the story ... Blueface was arrested in court while appearing for a separate offense but was allowed to make bail and Jaidyn came in clutch.

For her loyalty, Blueface immediately launched into star-maker mode and began training her for a potentially lucrative rap career in the studio.

Under Blue's coaching, Jaidyn turned the untitled track into a diss song for the haters who called her ugly. However, she also ended up hating the recording process, and her coach!!!

Their studio session bled well into Thursday morning with Jaidyn threatening to take even longer to prevent Blue from dipping off to go see his other girlfriend, Chrisean Rock ... who apparently didn't want to see him after his arrest!!!

Someone sneakily caught Chrisean's happy reaction that Blue was in jail but she denied that was her true feeling.

Blueface is in hot water with the law yet again, this time showing up to court for one issue and getting arrested for another ... after police claim he was involved in an alleged robbery.

According to docs, obtained by TMZ Hip Hop, BF was taken into police custody Wednesday and charged with a felony. As for why he was in court in the first place, he was supposed to have a preliminary hearing for his attempted murder charges.

TMZ broke that story ... BF was arrested back in November after prosecutors claimed he discharged a firearm into a house, building, vehicle or craft. In the new case, the alleged robbery was a direct violation of the stipulations the court placed on him after that case.

The white woman who shot and killed her Black neighbor -- a mother of 4 -- is getting off easy when it comes to charges ... so says attorney Ben Crump and the victim's mother, who both say race is very much a factor.

Crump and Pamela Dias joined us Wednesday on "TMZ Live," to reveal everything that led up to Friday's tragedy. Police say 58-year-old Susan Louise Lorincz opened fire through her front door, killing 35-year-old Ajike Owens, who was knocking on the door to defend her kids.

Lorincz was arrested Tuesday night, and charged with 2 counts of assault, battery, culpable negligence, and manslaughter. That last charge is offensive to Pamela, as she firmly believes her daughter was murdered.

Crump pointed out prosecutors still have the discretion to upgrade the charges against Lorincz, and he says that's warranted in this case.

Pamela and Ben claim Lorincz has been tormenting neighborhood kids -- including Ajike's -- for years about an open field where they play. They say her anger was completely unwarranted as Lorincz didn't own the land, which is adjacent to her apartment.

Perhaps most tragically, Pamela says 2 of her grandkids witnessed their mother get shot.

And, Crump says he has no doubt racism is a critical factor in this case -- he claims Lorincz has hurled epithets and insults at kids on previous occasions.

Former NFL wideout Travis Rudolph is a free man once again ... a jury just found him not guilty on all counts in his murder case.

The scene inside the courtroom Wednesday as the jury read its verdict was emotional ... Rudolph was in tears -- as were his family members.

The 27-year-old, though, eventually cracked a huge smile and shared an embrace with his lawyer. Afterward, he and his attorney thanked the jurors, the judge, the court and all others involved in the case.

"It means everything, man," the former New York Giants receiver said to reporters. "I finally got my freedom back and I can get back to my life."

Added Rudolph's attorney added, "We knew he wasn't guilty. He's one of the nicest human beings you ever met whether he plays sports or not. This is an innocent man who did what he had to do."

Rudolph was initially hit with four charges -- including one count of first-degree murder with a firearm -- back in April 2021 ... after authorities alleged he opened fire on four people inside of a car in West Palm Beach, FL, killing one, following a dispute that Rudolph had had with a woman earlier.

Rudolph, however, had adamantly claimed he was only acting in self-defense.

"I knew all along," Rudolph said Wednesday outside of the courtroom, "I did what I had to do to protect me and my brother's life."

The case went to trial last week ... and the jurors reached their verdict Wednesday afternoon after only about four hours of deliberating.

Rudolph told reporters he now has plans to resume his football career ... saying he's open to competing in any league -- not just the NFL.

"I'm going to reach out to my agent," he said, "and if God's willing, I'll still be able to play football. Definitely planning on getting back to football."

Lance Ball -- a former NFL running back who played for the Denver Broncos -- was arrested for domestic violence this week after allegedly strangling and assaulting someone.

The alleged incident occurred on Monday in Highlands Ranch, Colorado, about 25 miles southeast of Denver. Douglas County deputies responded to a residence for a report of "physical domestic disturbance." 37-year-old Ball was taken into custody.

Cops say the alleged victim was transported to a hospital for treatment.

According to KDVR, the incident stemmed from an argument between Ball and the alleged victim ... when he returned to the residence after golfing.

Ball was booked on charges of domestic violence, assault in the second degree, and criminal mischief.

He played in the NFL for several years after the former Maryland Terrapin went undrafted in 2008, suiting up for the Rams, Colts, Titans, and Broncos during his time in the league.

Lil Tjay is in police custody once again ... his lawyer says the rapper got arrested in NYC -- second time this year -- and this time it all went down live on Instagram.

Tjay's lawyer Dawn Florio tells TMZ ... the rapper was filming a short clip for a music video when cops arrived on the scene in Manhattan, and took him in for reckless endangerment.

He captured his arrest on video, too, as he happened to be live streaming Tuesday during the ordeal. Some folks in the crowd told him to stop resisting as his phone ended up in someone else's hand.

TMZ broke the story, the 22-year-old was arrested in January after a traffic stop in the Bronx while en route to shoot a video with Ice Spice. Law enforcement sources told us cops found a handgun in his vehicle, resulting in him getting booked for weapon possession.

Of course, the guy's also lucky to be alive after getting shot 7 times in a 2022 New Jersey robbery.

We've reached out to the NYPD's press office for comment ... so far, no word back.

"General Hospital" star Haley Pullos is being sued over the car crash from her recent DUI arrest ... the driver she smashed into says it's her fault he went to the hospital.

According to a new lawsuit, obtained by TMZ, a man named Courtney Wilder claims Haley plowed into his car last month while driving under the influence of alcohol and marijuana.

Wilder says the car he was driving behind barely swerved to avoid Haley's car as she drove the wrong way on a freeway offramp ... but he claims he didn't have time to react when he saw headlights coming his way and crashed head-on into Haley. He says he ended up getting transported to a hospital in critical condition.

TMZ broke the story ... cops said Haley was driving on a freeway in Pasadena on April 29, when she swerved into oncoming traffic, colliding head-on with another car that cops say was going about 60 mph.

Police say they searched Haley's car and found weed edibles and mini-bottles of tequila ... and she was arrested for felony DUI when she was taken to a hospital. Cops said she reeked of booze, had watery eyes and slurred speech.

The lawsuit also references what we first reported ... cops said Haley hit a firefighter who was assessing her injuries and shouted, "This is a $400 f***ing shirt!" Wilder slams the comment, claiming Haley cared more about an "overpriced shirt" than the safety and well-being of the crash victims.

In the docs, Wilder claims Haley should have stopped driving when she got into a hit-and-run earlier that night ... and he says she never should have been behind the wheel after mixing alcohol with weed edibles.

Wilder says the crash caused lasting injuries to his body and severe damage to his car, which was totaled ... and he's going after Haley for damages.

Young Thug’s biological brother, and YSL artist, Unfoonk is behind bars for violating the terms of the probation put in place after his plea deal in the Georgia RICO case.

The judge in Fulton County officially revoked Unfoonk’s probation Monday, and sentenced him to 9 years and 6 months in prison after he was charged with firearm possession by a convicted felon ... among other offenses.

Judge Ural D. Glanville scolded Unfoonk during the sentencing ... reminding the Atlanta rapper of their conversation in May about the strict conditions of his probation, especially when it came to possessing a gun!!!

Back in December, Unfoonk (born Quantavious Grier) took a plea deal in the ongoing YSL RICO trial, in which he got credit for 2 years time served, and was placed on probation for the next 10 years.