Crime & Arrests

Rapper Mo Fayne's looking at serious time behind bars -- but less than he might have gotten -- after cutting a plea deal in his PPP loan fraud case.

The "Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta" star pled guilty to 6 counts of federal bank fraud after prosecutors say he funded a lavish lifestyle during the pandemic with a Paycheck Protection Program loan. Y'know ... the ones intended to help employees and small businesses hit hard by COVID.

In docs, obtained by TMZ, Fayne was ordered to forfeit nearly $100k from several bank accounts as well as 8 of his 2015 Kenworth T680 trucks. Yes, he bought EIGHT trucks!!!

In exchange for his plea, the feds dropped 14 other charges and agreed to recommend Fayne get a 151-month prison sentence -- about 12.5 years -- and that's prosecutors going easy on him! Before the deal, he was staring down a possible max of 30 years.

As we reported ... Fayne was accused of using a PPP loan of over $2M to buy $85,000 worth of jewelry and pay off a bunch of personal debts, including child support.

Mo's been locked up since December for violating the terms of his bond, but he's now asking to be let out before the judge issues his sentence in September.

He argues he's NOT a threat to flee or a danger to the community. What's more ... Fayne says he wants out so he can see his doctor to treat a shoulder injury that required surgery last year, but was put on hold due to the pandemic.

Fayne also says, due to his history of asthma and use of an inhaler, he's in a high-risk group to contract COVID-19 while behind bars -- but that argument will probably be DOA in court. The feds have said all inmates will be offered vaccines.

Joe Exotic believes he may have prostate cancer, among many other ailments, and he's begging President Biden, Vice President Harris and others to step in and help.

Joe says his PSA count came back very high for prostate cancer. He seems to say it's clear he has prostate cancer, because he says, "The prison has approved testing to verify what state it is in." It appears there has been no diagnosis by a doctor.

Joe's lawyer, John M. Phillips, tells TMZ, Joe is scheduled to undergo further testing in prison, however, the facility is limited in what it can do. Phillips is trying to get Joe a new trial.

Joe says he's riddled with disease ... "I have lost a tremendous amount of weight, the mouth sores are out of control, I throw up more than I eat. I don't want anyone's pity, what I need is when John Phillips gets the evidence he is working on, I need the world to help him get President Biden, VP Harris and the Attorney General to listen to the evidence."

He's asking again for the elusive pardon so he can go home and get medical treatment.

It looks like the world is transitioning from brawls over mask-wearing to the ol'-fashion variety.

This one went down at London's Luton Airport after a man threw a bottle at another passenger who was insulting his female traveling companion.

For some reason, lots of onlookers decided to get in the game, and when the dust settled 17 people were arrested. Three people received serious injuries and were taken to the hospital.

A police spokesperson said, "We take a zero tolerance approach to violence and continue to assist the police with their inquiries. We would like to sincerely apologise to any passengers affected."

It's really crazy ... dudes are clobbering each other with suitcases right in the terminal area around all the stores. And, it happened at 8 AM ... way too early to brawl.

At least Lori Loughlin and her husband, Mossimo Giannulli, are heading to Mexico after doing their time ... or at least that's their hope, but first, they need approval from a federal judge.

The famous couple's legal team filed new docs asking the judge in their college admissions scandal case for permission to boogie down to San Jose del Cabo for a family vacation.

According to the docs, obtained by TMZ, Lori and Mossimo say they want to travel to Cabo for about a week in June to be with their family, and they claim they've been complying with the terms of their supervised releases.

Lori and Mossimo also claim their probation officers are cool with them saying "adios" to America -- just for the vacay, of course -- so, now they just need the judge to give his blessing.

As we first told you ... Lori finished her 2-month prison sentence in December and flew back home in a private jet.

Mossimo, meanwhile, was sprung early from prison last month and recently finished home confinement ... so, he's finally free to leave his crib.

Doug Kiker, the garbage man who brought Katy Perry to tears on "American Idol," is in police custody after cops in Alabama say he was involved in a domestic violence incident.

Mobile Police lieutenant Matthew James tells TMZ ... Kiker was busted Thursday for misdemeanor domestic violence (harassment) and he's now sitting in jail on $1,000 bond.

We're told officers responded to a report of domestic violence Thursday night allegedly involving Kiker and an adult woman and she's the one who called 911. The nature of their relationship is unclear.

Cops say responding officers investigated and determined there was probable cause to arrest Kiker ... and he was hauled off to jail, where he posed for this mug shot.

Just when it appeared Antonio Brown's legal troubles were behind him ... he's now being sued again, this time for allegedly assaulting a moving truck driver, TMZ Sports has confirmed.

According to the lawsuit, Anton Tumanov claims he was the moving company driver that initially accused Brown in February 2020 of assaulting him during a violent encounter outside of the NFL star's mansion in Hollywood, Fla.

In the docs, Tumanov says he was hired to move some of Brown's belongings from California to Florida ... but he claims when he arrived at Brown's home on Feb. 11, the receiver snapped.

Tumanov says after a dispute over payment ... Brown and his trainer, Glenn Holt, beat the hell out of him, damaging his truck and other people's belongings in his truck in the process.

Tumanov reported the incident to police, and in his 911 call, you can hear he told dispatch he thought Brown was "high."

32-year-old Brown was eventually arrested and hit with 3 criminal charges for his alleged role in the incident ... though he later cut a deal with prosecutors in June 2020 to put the case behind him.

Brown agreed to probation and other stipulations, including community service hours and an anger management course, to have the case dropped.

According to Tumanov's suit, he's now suing Brown AND Holt for damages in excess of $30,000.

As we previously reported, Brown had appeared to have cleared up all of his legal issues in recent months, including settling a civil lawsuit with his rape accuser, Britney Taylor.

Ex-"Deadliest Catch" star Jake Harris may not have learned his lesson from a previous DUI bust that landed him behind bars ... 'cause we’ve learned he was busted again for DUI.

A spokesperson for the Washington State Patrol tells TMZ ... Harris was busted near Mount Vernon, WA. last week after cops say they clocked him driving a Dodge Journey 86 MPH in a 70 MPH zone.

We're told Harris didn't initially pull over ... and drove another 3 miles to stop in a safe location. Cops say they discovered Harris’ license is revoked. Even if it wasn’t revoked, cops say Harris was required to have an ignition interlocking device installed -- a requirement from his previous DUI conviction.

And, you guessed it, cops say Harris didn't have the device installed since the car apparently belonged to a friend who had loaned it to him. In any event ... cops said Harris' eyes were bloodshot, his pupils were constricted, face was pale and his speech was repetitive.

Cops say Harris told them he had taken prescribed meds that morning, though the cop wouldn't say what kind. They suspected he was impaired ... and after Harris refused a sobriety test, cops arrested him.

He was booked into county jail for felony DUI, misdemeanor driving on a license revoked and misdemeanor failure to have an ignition interlock installed. Records show he posted $50k bond and was released on Tuesday.

Mike Tyson and his family are going to bat for 100 women who spent time in prison ... starting a charitable organization aimed at helping the former inmates reenter society.

Tyson's mother-in-law, Dr. Rita Ali -- along with Tyson and his fam -- created We 2 Matter ... designed to "empower 100 formerly incarcerated women and offer them reentry resources and support."

W2M -- who teamed up with Van Jones' prominent prison reform group, Dream Corps/Cut50 -- will provide a variety of different services to the women.

The program also aims to educate the general public on the challenges mothers face as they attempt to rejoin society.

The Tysons celebrated the We 2 Matter with a fancy Mother's Day brunch over the weekend ... inviting 10 Los Angeles-based mothers who were recently behind bars (and their kids) to Mike's Tyson Ranch in SoCal.

It's a topic that's near and dear to Mike's mother-in-law's heart. Dr. Ali was formerly convicted of a crime (she maintains her innocence) ... and says she knows how difficult it can be for a woman leaving prison.

In addition to the good work that Tyson's non-profit is doing ... the party was also pretty awesome.

Cops and FBI agents have 3 men in custody who they say pulled off a daring armed robbery and shooting outside Bev Hills hot spot Il Pastaio ... injuring one woman.

The feds say the suspects are members of the Rollin' 30s Crips, and each is charged with conspiracy to interfere with commerce by robbery for the violence that broke out at the restaurant back on March 4.

TMZ broke the story ... the armed robbery went down in broad daylight with the shooter and 2 accomplices going after a $500,000 Richard Mille watch a man was wearing. During the incident, a bystander ended up getting shot in the leg.

Additionally, the feds say the victim wearing the watch was held at gunpoint. During the struggle for the watch, the gunman fired 2 shots -- one of which hit the woman who was sitting nearby.

According to the feds, one of the alleged gang members' DNA was found on the robbery victim's clothing, and surveillance footage all 3 scouting the area before the robbery. Bev Hills cops, Santa Monica PD and the FBI teamed up to make the arrests.

Just hours after knocking out his opponent at Bellator 258 on Friday ... Anthony "Rumble" Johnson was arrested -- and cops say it's all 'cause the MMA star is an identity thief.

According to police records, Johnson had a warrant out for his arrest stemming from an incident in 2019 in which he allegedly used someone's credit card without their permission to purchase a flight.

Cops say Johnson illegally bought a round-trip ticket from Ft. Lauderdale, FL to Newark, NJ with the card.

So, when 37-year-old Johnson was in Connecticut on Friday for his fight at Mohegan Sun Arena against Jose Augusto -- cops nabbed him shortly after he scored the big knockout victory.

Records show New Canaan Police Dept officers put Johnson in custody at the arena and then transported him to headquarters for processing -- where he took a mug shot.

Johnson was booked on several charges, including identity theft, and was later released on $500 bond. He's due in court in June for a hearing in the case.

Rumble's fight against Augusto was his first pro bout since 2017 -- and it was an impressive win for him, considering the long layoff and the fact that he was knocked down in the 1st round.

Prior to the arrest, Johnson had been looking to become a big star in Bellator after a long and successful career with the UFC that included wins over guys like Alexander Gustafsson and Glover Teixeira.

An LAPD station got firebombed by someone who threw a Molotov cocktail at its doors ... but it was all captured on video, and cops already nabbed the suspect.

The frightening scene went down around 1 AM Sunday at LAPD's Topanga Division Station and was caught on surveillance footage.

As you can see, the guy walks up with what appears to be an already-lit explosive device in his hand and hurls it at the front of the building, then takes off running.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... the Molotov cocktail cracked the station window but did not break it, and the explosion looked bigger on video than it actually was.

We're told the suspect -- later ID'd as Jonathon Rosin -- was chased down by officers and arrested. He's been booked for igniting an explosive, a felony, and is still in custody.

Two elderly Asian women are recovering after this brazen and heinous stabbing in San Francisco -- so brutal the blade broke off inside one of the victims.

The attack happened Tuesday around 5 PM along Market Street where an 84-year-old and 63-year-old were randomly attacked by a man. You can see he comes up behind them, completely unprovoked and stabs them with a knife reportedly bigger than one of the victim's arms.

The 63-year-old was stabbed in the back, and then the attacker moved over to the 84-year-old, and used so much force while stabbing her, his knife was lodged in her body -- according to KGO-TV reporter Dion Lim, who first obtained the video

The older victim suffered a punctured lung, and her family shared her X-ray showing the huge blade which doctors later removed.

San Francisco PD says the 63-year-old victim suffered non-life-threatening injuries. Both women remain hospitalized.

Josh Duggar's friends and family told law enforcement he's dealing with a porn addiction ... according to the feds, who claim his computer was chock full of disturbing images.

The "19 Kids and Counting" star appeared over Zoom for a court hearing Wednesday in his child pornography case. During the hearing, an agent from the Dept. of Homeland Security said Josh's computer had more than 200 images involving naked minors and child sex abuse material. The agent said some of the children were as young as 5.

The feds say witnesses, including friends and family, brought up Josh's alleged addiction to porn in interviews with law enforcement.

However, Josh's defense asked the agent if there's evidence Duggar had looked at the alleged images, and the agent said he hadn't "directly" seen Josh checking out child porn.

TMZ broke the story ... Josh was hit with charges of receiving and possessing child porn following last month's arrest by federal agents in Arkansas. He's pled not guilty.

In Wednesday's court hearing, the feds claimed authorities identified a computer with videos and photos of child porn in May 2019 -- a few months later they claim they connected Josh to the computer using the IP address.

Remember, the Springdale, Arkansas car dealership where Josh works was raided by the feds in November 2019.

DHS agents seized a computer from Josh's office, plus his iPhone and a MacBook from inside an RV during that raid, and the feds say child porn was on the HP computer.

Josh, who is facing up to 20 years behind bars and fines of up to $250k on each count, wants to be released from jail, on bond, pending a trial ... claiming he's too famous to be a flight risk. The judge has yet to rule on that request.

Despite being hit with criminal charges in connection with the horrific death of a pregnant woman and her unborn child ... boxer Felix Verdejo WILL continue to have a contract with Top Rank as long he's not convicted -- so says Bob Arum.

The legendary boxing promoter explained the situation in an interview with WAPA-TV this week ... saying he has no plans to cut Verdejo at this time, even in light of the disturbing allegations against the 27-year-old.

"A man -- no matter how bad it looks -- is innocent until proven guilty," Arum says.

"And, we will not release him from the contract and terminate our relationship with him unless or until he's convicted."

While Arum's point is legitimate -- Verdejo's got a mountain to climb to avoid a conviction ... because there seems to be a ton of very compelling evidence against him as it relates to the death of 27-year-old Keishla Rodriguez and her unborn child.

Law enforcement says a witness has come forward and claimed he helped Verdejo kill the woman in Puerto Rico last week ... saying the boxer abducted her, punched her, injected her with foreign substances, and ultimately threw her off a bridge with a heavy block tied to her.

Law enforcement says cell phone data appears to corroborate the witness' story. Investigators also say they have surveillance video which appears to show a dark SUV at the scene of the crime similar to the one Verdejo had previously been spotted with.

Still, Arum says, "We're not going to release him until and unless he is convicted."

Verdejo surrendered to Puerto Rican authorities over the weekend ... and is currently being held without bail.

Puerto Rican newspaper El Vocero de Puerto Rico reports he's due in court on May 11 for a hearing in the case.

Terrifying incident involving cricket legend Stuart MacGill ... who was allegedly kidnapped and assaulted at gunpoint in Australia last month -- and cops have now arrested his girlfriend's brother over the incident.

50-year-old MacGill was reportedly confronted by 46-year-old Marino Sotiropoulos, the brother of MacGill's GF, Maria O’Meagher, on April 14 near Sydney ... according to the Sydney Morning Herald.

According to the report, while interacting with Sotiropoulos, MacGill was then approached by two other men ... who allegedly forced him into a car and drove him an hour outside of the city.

Cops say MacGill was beaten and threatened with a firearm for an hour straight upon arriving at a home in Bringelly ... suffering minor injuries.

According to cops, MacGill was then driven to Belmore -- another suburb of Sydney -- where he was ultimately released by the group.

The cricket legend reported the incident to police days later ... and the State Crime Command’s Robbery and Serious Crime Squad launched an investigation.

Officials believe the incident was financially motivated ... but say a ransom was not given and money was NOT exchanged.

Detective acting superintendent Anthony Holton told reporters Sotiropoulos was close to MacGill and believes his involvement to be an act of betrayal.

"I’d say the 46-year-old man’s involvement, we'll be alleging, was part of the facilitation of his kidnapping," Holton said, according to the Daily Telegraph.

Four individuals were arrested this week in the case -- Sotiropoulos, a 42-year-old man, a 29-year-old man, and a 27-year-old man.

According to the report, Sotiropoulos was charged with "detaining in company with intent to get advantage occasioning actual bodily harm, participating in a criminal group (contributing to criminal activity) and supplying a prohibited drug (large commercial quantity)."

The 42-year-old was charged with "knowingly directing the activities of a criminal group and detaining in company with intent to get advantage occasioning actual bodily harm."

Both the 27-year-old and 29-year-old were charged with participating in a criminal group (contributing to criminal activity) and detaining in company with intent to get advantage occasioning actual bodily harm.

All men were denied bail to appear in court on Wednesday.

MacGill played on the Australian national team from 1998-2008 ... appearing in 44 Test matches.

Silento insists he has a constitutional right to a reasonable bond in his felony murder case ... insisting he's not a flight risk.

The "Watch Me (Whip/Nae Nae)" rapper filed legal docs in DeKalb County, GA requesting the court set his bond at $25k. In docs, obtained by TMZ, Silento says he's “not an extraordinary bail risk and will not jeopardize the safety of the community if released on bail.”

He also assures the court that if the judge lets him out he won't flee or go into hiding. He promises to obey all court orders. Silento says denying him bond is not only unjust -- it's unconstitutional.

We'll soon know if the judge agrees with Silento ... a bond hearing's been set for later this month.

As we reported ... the rapper was arrested on February 1 for his alleged role in the death of his cousin, Frederick Rooks. Silento was charged with felony murder.

Cops said they found Rooks shot to death in the street on Jan. 21 ... and found 8 bullet casings at the scene. Silento's rep asked for positive thoughts for the rapper ... claiming he's been suffering from various mental health issues for several years.