Crime & Arrests

"Ink Master" star Daniel Silva has responded to Corey La Barrie's wrongful death lawsuit ... claiming Corey's death was partly his own doing.

Daniel filed legal docs responding to claims from the YouTuber's parents -- Simon La Barrie and Lissa Burton. The docs say the car crash that led to Corey's death was due to his own negligence, and he assumed the risk of death when he jumped into Daniel's car that fateful night back in May.

TMZ broke the story ... Corey's parents believe Daniel and his company, Daniel Silva Tattoos, were negligent in the moments leading up to Corey's death on his 25th birthday. Daniel wrecked a black McLaren sports car after leaving a party with Corey.

Corey's parents say excessive speed caused the crash ... and Daniel was the one with his foot on the pedal.

The parents also claim Daniel was under the influence ... something a source close to Daniel disputes.

As we first reported ... Daniel was arrested and later charged with murder ... with the L.A. County D.A.'s Office saying Daniel acted with malice the night of the crash.

Daniel pled no contest to vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence. He was sentenced to 4 years in state prison, but that sentence was suspended. Instead, he got 365 days in county jail. He also got 5 years probation and 250 hours of community service.

Casey Anthony is the owner of a new private investigation company but she's not legally allowed to privately investigate.

Here's the deal ... Anthony just opened her own P.I. company in West Palm Beach --- Case Research & Consulting Services, LLC -- but state officials tell us she hasn't even filed for a P.I. license in Florida, so she can't legally do any investigating herself.

It's possible Casey's intention was to hire legit private eyes to work for her ... but if she wants to put in her own work as a P.I., she's got to navigate some hoops and hurdles.

Casey's gotta get a Class C license to work as a private eye in Florida, a lengthy process requiring 2 years of training, a background check and a state exam.

As you know, it's been nearly a decade since Casey was acquitted in the death of her daughter, Caylee ... and state officials tell us they would need to review her criminal history to determine if she's even eligible for the Class C license.

An Indigenous man who's being prosecuted for a Mount Rushmore protest believes he's been grossly over-charged ... but the white insurrectionists at the Capitol won't get the same treatment.

Nick Tilsen tells TMZ ... what we all witnessed in Washington D.C. was the "epitome of white supremacy and white privilege in society." He adds that he doesn't expect many of the culprits will be slapped with the same legal consequences he's faced since last summer.

If you don't know ... Nick's the President of NDN Collective, which protested President Trump's July 3 visit to Mt. Rushmore after calling for the national monument to be closed and the land returned to the Lakota people.

Nick was one of 20 Land Defenders arrested and facing criminal charges ... but his are steep. Nick's accused of taking a shield from a National Guard soldier and threatening to use it against the Guard.

He's been charged with second-degree robbery, grand theft in the alternative and 2 counts of simple assault against law enforcement. He could get 16 years in prison if convicted.

In contrast, one notable Capitol rioter -- who's been identified as Aaron Mostofsky, the son of a Brooklyn Supreme Court judge -- was photographed inside the building Wednesday holding a Capitol Police shield ... seemingly with no qualms about it.

Aaron was later interviewed and claimed he found the shield on the ground. As of now, there's no record of him even getting arrested ... much less charged.

Nick wants to point out ... he's not in favor of people of any race, orientation or religion being met with over-prosecution for expressing their right to protest. In fact, he supports the opposite.

The man who mugged for the camera while gleefully carrying House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's lectern has been arrested.

Adam Johnson was picked up Friday night on a federal warrant in Florida, where he lives. The images of the 36-year-old were plastered online and on TV during and after the insurrection, so it wasn't particularly hard to find him.

Johnson reportedly has a wife and 5 kids and is a stay-at-home dad.

BTW ... the lectern and gavel that were initially reported stolen were found ... neither object was damaged. As you know, there was extensive damage inside the Capitol. Pelosi's laptop was stolen after her offices were stormed by the rioters.

The founder and lead guitarist of heavy metal band Iced Earth is popular with the FBI these days, because he's now a wanted man.

Jon Schaffer was one of the rioters who stormed the Capitol Wednesday, and it's not like his presence was a big surprise. He's a die-hard Trumper who warned last month during a protest he and others like him were ready for violence if it came to that, and also warned the opposition ... "You're goin' down."

Schaffer is wanted for "unrest-related offenses" in connection with the failed coup attempt.

Schaffer’s involvement in the Capitol riot came a few months after he attended a D.C. Trump rally in November to protest against the election results.

Hansi Kursch, who's also in the band, Demons & Wizards, with Schaffer, was appalled at what he saw, saying ... "We are deeply shocked and our thoughts are with the relatives of the deceased. We expressly distance ourselves from any kind of violence irrespective if applied against institutions or persons. The incidents will be thoroughly investigated and the responsible will be brought to justice. We ask for your understanding that in view of the hourly news situation we will not make any further comments at present."

Schaffer's one of the more high-profile rioters, what with being in 3 popular bands and authorities know where he lives ... so it seems the FBI should find him with ease.

The FBI WANTS YOUR HELP in finding these 10 people whom they say are insurrectionists who stormed the Capitol.

The feds want this wanted poster, so to speak, plastered everywhere so everyone can be their eyes and ears to find these suspected rioters in the attempted coup that left 5 people dead.

There were so many people who breached the Capitol the FBI is rolling out its WANTED posters gradually ... catch 10, post 10 more.

The man suspected of placing bombs at the DNC and the RNC headquarters in D.C was also captured on camera by the FBI.

Numerous arrests have already been made, including the guy who mugged for the camera in Nancy Pelosi's office.

The Capitol Police may have come up way short in preventing the riots, but it seems they're trying to make up for it ... by attempting to nab suspected rioters before they get out of town.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... Capitol Police headed up an operation Friday at Reagan National Airport in D.C., staking the place out in search of would-be travelers believed to have been involved in Wednesday's insurrection.

These photos show cops detaining one man who we're told was surrounded by cops, taken into a room and questioned.

We're told airport police and the Dept. of Homeland Security provided an assist. We don't know how many people were detained or arrested.

The FBI is on the hunt for everyone who participated in the Capitol riots, and several suspects have already been identified and arrested.

A retired lieutenant was one of the insurrectionists who took over the Capitol Wednesday, and it wasn't hard ID'ing him because of the gear he chose to wear during the invasion.

Larry Rendall Brock is an Air Force vet from Texas who was on the Senate floor during the chaos. He was decked out in body armor, a military helmet and a tag with a Punisher skull. That tag has been embraced by QAnon.

He was grasping zip-ties as he left Nancy Pelosi's office. Brock told the New Yorker he wasn't breaching the Capitol at all ... he says he thought someone had put the welcome mat out for the group. What he didn't explain ... if the group was so welcome, why did they smash windows, overtake the cops and storm the building? As for the zip ties, he said he found them in the building and was holding them to return to the cops.

He also said he came to Washington because "The President asked for his supporters to be there to attend, and I felt like it was important."

As we reported ... at least 2 men inside the Capitol had zip ties, which are substitutes for handcuffs. As you know, Congress was in session at the time of the attempted coup and the members literally fled for their lives. The question -- were they on the verge of becoming hostages, or worse?

Law enforcement also found explosives that were ready to detonate.

The FBI has reasons to believe the mob of Trump supporters who stormed the Capitol not only premeditated the assault, but might have been aided by police and staffers in the building ... TMZ has learned.

High ranking sources inside the Capitol Police Dept. tell TMZ the FBI is looking at several facts that stink of an inside job. For starters, the Bureau is puzzled by the ease with which the mob found its way to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's office.

It's not off any main hallway or next to other Congressional offices ... in fact, the path to get to the entrance is maze-like and not open to the public like other parts of the Capitol. The rioters who took it over -- vandalizing it and stealing a laptop -- got there within 10 minutes of entering the Capitol.

We're told the FBI feels someone must have provided a roadmap for them to find it that quickly. Remember, the Capitol has been closed to the public since March due to the pandemic so it's not like these guys could have been casing it to plot their path.

As for suspects -- we're told the FBI is looking at Capitol Police officers and many other Capitol staffers, such as engineers, plumbers and janitors.

We're told another image raising eyebrows at the Bureau are those videos of a few police officers opening gates and removing barricades to give the hoard easy access to the Capitol.

Our sources say some officers could be charged with cowardice -- legally defined as failure to take proper police action. Additionally, we're told the rioters -- and anyone who aided them -- could also be charged for threats and menacing against Congress ... because the House and Senate were in session when the mob breached the building.

We're told the feds are also extremely motivated to find the people responsible for attacking Capitol PD officer Brian Sicknick ... who later died from his injuries.

We're told the FBI and the National Security Agency are using cell phone tower data, and state-of-the-art digital imaging systems to help ID people who were in the Capitol during the insurrection -- that includes rioters, Capitol staffers.

Kyle Rittenhouse -- the teenager charged with homicide in the Kenosha, WI killings -- seems to be flaunting the fact he's no longer in jail as he awaits trial ... based on his t-shirt anyway.

Rittenhouse -- who just turned 18 -- hit up a bar in Mt. Pleasant, WI earlier this week with his parents and enjoyed a beer ... according to our sources. As you can see ... he was sporting a shirt with the phrase, "Free as F***."

If you're wondering how he was allowed to drink alcohol, you're not alone ... but it's actually allowed per Wisconsin law if a person under 21 is with a parent, guardian or spouse of legal drinking age.

Nonetheless, it seems someone was concerned about Rittenhouse's presence in the bar, because the Mount Pleasant PD tells us they got a call about him being there. We're told the caller believed it may have been a violation of his bond agreement.

Cops say they looked into it and learned Rittenhouse was at Pudgy's Pub on Tuesday afternoon with a parent, and relayed the info to the Kenosha County DA's Office. We're told an investigation determined he had not violated his agreement.

As we reported ... Rittenhouse was released from custody in late November on $2 million bail. The money was raised mostly by donors -- including actor Ricky Schroder -- who have lauded the teenager as a patriotic hero.

Miya Ponsetto's arrest for attempted robbery -- after attacking a 14-year-old boy and accusing him of stealing her phone -- isn't nearly enough, according to the child's parents ... who insist racism was involved in the incident.

Keyon Harrold Jr.'s mom and dad -- Kat and Keyon Sr. -- joined us on "TMZ Live," along with their attorney, Ben Crump, to address Ponsetto being taken into custody ... more than 2 weeks after her altercation with the teenager at a SoHo hotel.

But, the so-called SoHo Karen's arrest led to a much bigger discussion about ongoing examples of racial injustice in the country, which Crump says was also highlighted during the historic events in the Capitol this week.

As for the incident with Ponsetto and Harrold Jr. ... Keyon's parents say he's still in therapy to deal with the aftermath. His mom and dad are worried about PTSD, and Kat describes the trauma as something her son doesn't deserve ... same goes for countless people of color before him.

Kat goes on to lay blame on the SoHo hotel for its role in Ponsetto's attack on her son, claiming it enabled her to lay hands on him.

As we reported ... Ponsetto has denied her attack of Harrold had anything to do with race -- instead, her lawyer says it was anxiety-induced -- and our law enforcement sources say she will not be charged for any sort of hate crime.

UFC fighter Irwin Rivera has been arrested for 2 counts of attempted murder ... according to a jail official.

31-year-old Rivera is a UFC bantamweight (135 lbs.) fighter who first fought with the promotion in May 2020. Rivera is 1-2 in the UFC ... and 10-6 as a professional.

Rivera was booked into the Main Detention Center in West Palm Beach, FL around noon on Thursday, per jail online booking information.

The UFC issued a statement on Rivera's arrest, saying ... “UFC is aware of the recent incident involving Irwin Rivera and subsequently received information from his management that he has been exhibiting behavior consistent with mental health issues.”

The statement continues ... “The allegations are extremely troubling and the organization is currently gathering additional information. The investigation is ongoing and any potential next steps including disciplinary action or medical attention will be determined upon the conclusion."

"Furthermore, UFC has informed Rivera’s management that he will not be offered a bout at this time.”

Before his arrest, Rivera was originally scheduled to fight at UFC Fight Night in March.

An Alabama man seemed to be gearing up for mass destruction and murder at the Capitol Building on Wednesday ... at least based on what cops say they discovered in his truck.

Lonnie Coffman has been arrested and charged with possession of destructive devices and carrying an unlicensed gun ... but that doesn't tell the half of it.

According to legal docs -- obtained by TMZ -- Coffman approached cops and told them he was trying to get to his vehicle -- a red pickup -- the same suspicious vehicle they had received calls about.

Cops say he asked them if they found the bombs, and upon searching his truck ... they found 11 mason jars containing an unknown liquid with a golf tee in the top of each jar, cloth rags and lighters. AKA -- Molotov cocktails.

They also discovered one M4 Carbine assault rifle with rifle magazines loaded with ammunition ... and a black handgun on the front passenger seat. Cops say he also had 2 guns in his pockets when he was detained.

According to the docs ... while questioning him, he told them the mason jars contained "melted Styrofoam and gasoline." ATF officers say this mixture has the effect of napalm.

Coffman's been arrested, and cops say -- based on security footage -- he was seen leaving the vehicle parked near the Capitol building on Wednesday morning.

SoHo 'Karen' Miya Ponsetto's wrongdoing on the other side of the country has finally caught up with her in Los Angeles ... she was just taken into custody.

Law enforcement sources tell us they arrested Ponsetto Thursday in a joint effort by the Ventura County Sheriff and NYPD. We're told she's expected to be charged with attempted robbery for falsely accusing and assaulting a 14-year-old black child.

As we reported, officers from the NYPD were looking for Ponsetto after video surfaced showing the 22-year-old attacking a 14-year-old who she had accused of stealing her cell phone at the Arlo SoHo hotel in NYC. She tried to take the boy's personal phone during the attack, ridiculously believing it must be hers.

Ponsetto left to California shortly after the December 26 incident, laying low with her mom, but was spotted outside a McDonald's just last week.

Ponsetto has a history of run-ins with the law including 2 DUI busts in 2020 and getting arrested with her mom in February for allegedly being drunk in public at the Peninsula hotel in Bev Hills.

As for the 14-year-old who she attacked, Keyon Harrold Jr., his father tells us the family is seeking trauma therapy for their son.

Ponsetto's attorney, Sharen H. Ghatan, tells us the attack wasn't racially motivated, but instead a result of an anxiety attack. As for her phone ... that was later found in an Uber and returned to her.

Ghatan says she was unaware of Ponsetto's arrest, but says, "Miya has not grasped the severity of her circumstances. She is expressly disregarding advice and has gone rogue."

Ghatan continues, "I had an in-person meeting with Miya today, and after seeing her in person, I was able to determine she is simply unwell. She is emotionally and mentally fragile. I was forced to cancel national interviews due to my concern of her wellbeing and lack of understanding of the process. I am here to guide her as legal counsel - but if she is unwilling to take my advice, there is not much more I can do."

Feds have arrested the guy they believe is the Capitol rioter who was photographed sitting at Nancy Pelosi's desk during the failed coup ... TMZ has confirmed.

Federal law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... feds arrested Richard Barnett in Arkansas and charged him with entering and remaining on restricting grounds, violent entry and theft of public property. Barnett is believed to be the guy who was photographed inside the House Speaker's office ... with his feet kicked up. He also seems to be the guy taking a selfie with Pelosi's mail and also left a note that read, "We will not back down."

After getting into Pelosi's office ... Barnett reportedly told a New York Times reporter, "I wrote her a nasty note, put my feet up on her desk and scratched my balls."

As we reported ... the FBI asked for the public's help to help them find the insurrectionists involved during Wednesday's deadly attack. The FBI asked for "tips and digital media depicting rioting and violence in the U.S. Capitol Building and surrounding area."

Barnett's allegedly one of just hundreds of President Trump supporters who breached security and stormed the Capitol ... triggering panic in the Senate and House Chambers before order was finally restored.

Pelosi's laptop was apparently taken from her office. No word on whether classified documents were on the computer. Likewise, the laptop and iPad of Rep Jim Clyburn's were also stolen.

DaBaby's shopping spree on world-famous Rodeo Drive came to an abrupt halt when Bev Hills cops stopped him and his pals and allegedly found a gun.

DaBaby hit several stores on Rodeo Thursday including Dior, Gucci and Moncler. As he and 3 other men were about to drive off, multiple cop cars surrounded their vehicle. Law enforcement sources tell us someone had called the cops to report DaBaby and his crew had weapons.

Baby and his friends were detained while officers searched the vehicle, and found one handgun.

We're told the rapper was arrested for carrying a loaded firearm, a misdemeanor. Although cops initially detained everyone in the car, we're told DaBaby is the only one getting booked.