Crime & Arrests

Brandon Hantz -- a veteran of the "Survivor" universe -- has been arrested on charges of racketeering conspiracy and arson ... while several of his alleged associates are facing murder charges.

The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Texas unsealed a 22-count indictment Wednesday charging Hantz and 13 others with a variety of crimes ... alleging they're all members or associates of the Bandidos motorcycle gang in the state.

According to prosecutors, the Bandidos are engaged in a turf war with a rival gang -- B*EAST ... and, the Bandidos allegedly put out a "smash on site" order against their rival, which means members are instructed to assault and even murder members of B*EAST.

6:05 PM PT -- Rihanna just reacted to Rocky's verdict on Instagram writing ... "The glory belongs to God and God alone!

She added ... "Thankful, humbled by his mercy!"

The verdict in A$AP Rocky's assault trial was just announced -- Rocky has been found not guilty.

Rocky's partner and mother of his two sons, Rihanna, was sobbing, and gave Rocky's defense attorney, Joe Tacopina, a big hug. As the jurors exited one by one, Rocky said to them ... "Thank you for saving my life."

Outside the courtroom, Rocky thanked God and the jury for allowing him to be a free man ... telling reporters and fans he was happy to put the legal saga behind him.

Rihanna was there by Rocky's side, just as she was in court ... when he jumped into the gallery to hug her after the verdict was read. Rihanna did not talk to reporters and after some brief comments from Rocky, the couple meandered through a throng of reporters and escaped in their black SUV.

Joe held court after his client left and ripped the prosecution and its star witness A$AP Relli ... saying Relli, not Rocky, is the real criminal here ... claiming Relli perjured himself multiple times during the trial and urging the D.A. to go after Relli next.

Tacopina said he was happy for Rocky, RiRi and their two kids ... relaying the family is ready to move on from the trial.

The Los Angeles jury began deliberations Tuesday morning after closing arguments were completed Friday afternoon ... the rapper was charged with two counts of assault with a semiautomatic weapon, and Rocky would have faced a possible 24-year prison sentence if he were found guilty.

A$AP Rocky -- legal name Rakim Mayers -- was arrested in 2022, accused of firing a gun at former associate and friend A$AP Relli outside a hotel in Hollywood in 2021. Rocky turned down a plea deal from prosecutors last month.

Rocky's defense attorney, Joe Tacopina, maintained his client could not have shot Relli -- legal name Terell Ephron -- because Rocky only carried a prop gun with him at the time. Relli testified his knuckles were scraped by a bullet.

Relli's testimony got heated at times ... with fireworks popping off between himself and Tacopina.

Rocky chose not to testify ... though his voice was heard in court when he yelled at his pal A$AP Twelvyy "Don't say!!!" when prosecutors asked him on the stand what "AWGE" stands for. AWGE is the name of Rocky's creative agency with "Fight Club"-level secrecy rules attached to it.

Rihanna played a background role in the proceedings -- prospective jurors were asked during the selection process whether they'd heard of A$AP or Rihanna, listened to their music, or downloaded any of their songs. A jury of seven women and five men were selected ... none of them Black.

Seven Chilean nationals believed to be behind the Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce and Joe Burrow burglaries have been charged ... and they're accused of taking more than $2 million in valuables from several big-name athletes' homes.

The feds unsealed a criminal complaint this week ... which names alleged South American theft group members Pablo Cartes, Ignacio Cartes, Bastian Freraut, Jordan Sanchez, Bastian Morales, Alexander Chavez and Sergio Cabello as defendants.

The members are charged with conspiracy to commit interstate transportation of stolen property ... and face a maximum penalty of 10 years behind bars.

An unsettling situation for Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban ... cops say an intruder broke into their home.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... Nicole and Keith are the latest A-listers to become crime victims, now that their Los Angeles-area home has been burglarized.

Our sources say Nicole and Keith were not home at the time, but one of their employees scared the person off.

Baltimore Ravens offensive lineman Ben Cleveland was arrested for DUI last week, TMZ Sports has learned ... after he allegedly drove his truck with a BAC over twice the legal limit.

According to Baldwin County Sheriff's Office documents we obtained, Cleveland was suspected of drunk driving in Milledgeville, Ga. on Feb. 12.

The docs state the 26-year-old -- a third-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft out of the Univ. of Georgia -- was pulled over at around 10:25 PM ... after he had been swerving in a roadway. Cops wrote Cleveland was actually driving so erratically, he nearly steered his black Ford F-250 into a ditch.

Luigi Mangione is making his first public comments since being arrested and charged in the Brian Thompson murder case ... and he's taking a page from Justin Baldoni's playbook.

Luigi released a statement Friday on a new website dedicated to his defense.

Mangione says, "I am overwhelmed by -- and grateful for -- everyone who has written me to share their stories and express their support. Powerfully, this support has transcended political, racial, and even class divisions, as mail has flooded MDC from across the country, and around the globe."

Family drama with Harvey Weinstein ... he's suing his own brother from jail, claiming his sibling tricked him into guaranteeing a $45 million loan and then left him holding the bag.

Harvey filed a lawsuit Thursday against his brother, Bob Weinstein, and Hollywood executive David Glasser ... a former executive at Weinstein's now-defunct film company, The Weinstein Company.

In the suit, Harvey alleges Bob and David concocted a calculated financial conspiracy to leave him personally liable for a $45 million loan as a way to push him out of the company and set the stage for his downfall.

Rihanna and A$AP Rocky aren't Pleading the Fifth about their feelings for one another ... showing they're clearly in love while waiting for the verdict in his assault trial at an L.A. courthouse.

The singer and her rapper partner arrived at court Friday ... readying for a long day of waiting for the jury in Rocky's case to come to a decision.

Rocky showed up to court first ... a dark blue coat over a matching suit and black and silver striped tie -- looking calm and cool despite the potential 24-year sentence he's facing.

A woman who says she was trafficked as a teenager is now suing Diddy, claiming he paid her and other minors to work a sex party in Miami just a few years ago.

The alleged victim filed the lawsuit Friday and details the encounter she claims went down in or around 2020, when Diddy was hosting a huge party -- which she says was clearly organized as a group sex event in a warehouse.

In the docs, obtained by TMZ, she says Diddy made a formal announcement and toast to start the party. The woman says she'd already been drugged at that point ... sedated by an unnamed man, not Diddy, she calls her "trafficker." She claims to have been under the thumb of various pimps since she was 12, and at the time of Diddy's party, she was still only 15.

The latest Diddy lawsuit comes from a model who claims he drugged her, and offered her a safe place to rest ... but then held her against her will and sexually assaulted her for hours.

The lawsuit, filed anonymously, claims Diddy and the woman met at a VIP party in 1999 which he was hosting in NYC. The first part of her allegation fits the bill of dozens of other lawsuits ... she claims he handed her a drink during the event, and she felt "extreme drowsiness" and could barely stand.

However, what allegedly happened next is slightly different ... the plaintiff claims she told him she needed to leave because she was feeling woozy, and Diddy suggested she sleep at his house, and assured her nothing would happen. She says she also told him she was married, and did not want to hook up with him.

Diddy forced a woman to consume a drink and then sexually assaulted her in a Los Angeles nightclub, telling her to "take that s***" ... at least according to a new lawsuit.

The Bad Boy Records founder is being sued by a Jane Doe who claims he sexually assaulted her in November 2016 at Club Playhouse in Los Angeles.

According to the lawsuit, obtained by TMZ, the woman claims Diddy approached her in the club and offered her a drink, and when she initially refused he told her, "Bitch, I am not asking you. Drink that s*** and shut the f*** up."

Bryan Kohberger's defense team is "really spinning" in their favor the recent news that blood from two unidentified males was collected from the crime scene where four Idaho students were brutally slain -- but it's all smoke and mirrors, so says Nancy Grace.

TMZ caught up with Nancy on Thursday during a Zoom call, and the famous legal commentator weighed in on the Kohberger murder case in which four University of Idaho students -- three females and one male -- were found fatally stabbed inside a house in 2022.

Specifically, Nancy zeroed in on the big news -- which broke in the media several days ago -- about the blood from two mysterious males found on the handrail of a stairway inside the house and on a glove just outside the residence.

Kadarius Toney on Thursday appeared to address his recent arrest -- writing on his social media page that people "will believe anything" about him as "long as it's bad."

The two-time Super Bowl champion threw the message up on his Instagram Stories -- in a caption on a picture of him wearing a mask and a hat.

Toney also stated on the photo that "Mfs say anything when they think they right" ... before he deleted the post minutes later.

Rihanna's showing support for her man A$AP Rocky while his trial comes to an end ... pulling up to court on the day closing arguments are set to take place -- with her two kids in tow.

The singer-songwriter hopped out of a black SUV in front of the courthouse Thursday ... wearing a black leather jacket while her security held an umbrella to keep her out of the rain.

Her two children -- RZA and Riot -- came along with RiRi ... the first time they've been spotted going to court throughout this whole ordeal.

Three men believed to be connected to the Joe Burrow burglary have been hit with more charges, prosecutors announced this week ... with additional images being released of their photo shoot with the quarterback's alleged stolen jewelry.

Hamilton County Prosecutor Connie Pillich said Jordan Sanchez, Bastian Morales and Sergio Cabello were indicted on first-degree felony engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity and second-degree felony burglary charges.

A fourth individual spotted alongside the suspects with the alleged stolen stuff was not charged ... as prosecutors said they could not tie him to being at Burrow's home during the burglary.

Two-time Super Bowl champion Kadarius Toney was arrested last week over allegations he strangled a woman, TMZ Sports has learned.

According to police documents we obtained, the former Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver was accused of putting his hand around a woman's throat during a dispute at a Georgia residence on Jan. 14 ... and squeezing "with enough force to cause her to be unable to breath."

The docs state the alleged attack left the woman with red marks on her neck ... and petechial hemorrhaging in her eyes.