Crime & Arrests

Two men have now been convicted of murdering Run-DMC's Jam Master Jay ... bringing an end to one of hip hop's longest-running cold cases.

The jury in Brooklyn Federal Court found both defendants Ronald Washington and Karl Jordan Jr. guilty Tuesday, just a little under a month after the trial began.

Jay was gunned down more than 21 years ago on the evening of October 30, 2002 ... where prosecutors argued Washington and Jordan both ambushed him at his studio over a failed drug deal, with Jordan executing him at close range with multiple shots to the head.

A third defendant, Jay Bryant, will be tried at a later date after he was implicated in the murder.

Investigators say Bryant left an article containing his DNA at the scene as he's said to have been the point man allowing Washington and Jordan access to the studio to murder the hip hop icon.

Dos hombres han sido declarados culpables de asesinar a Jam Master Jay de Run-DMC, dándole fin a uno de los casos más antiguos del hip hop.

El jurado en el Tribunal Federal de Brooklyn declaró culpables a los acusados Ronald Washington y Karl Jordan Jr. el martes, poco menos de un mes después de que comenzara el juicio.

Jay fue asesinado a tiros hace más de 21 años la noche del 30 de octubre de 2002. Los fiscales argumentaron que Washington y Jordan le tendieron una emboscada en su estudio sobre un acuerdo de drogas fallido, lo que terminó con Jordan ejecutándolo a quemarropa con múltiples disparos en la cabeza.

Un tercer acusado, Jay Bryant, será juzgado en una fecha posterior después de haber sido implicado en el asesinato.

Los investigadores dicen que Bryant dejó un artículo que contiene su ADN en la escena, ya que se dice que fue el hombre clave que le permitió a Washington y Jordan acceder al estudio para asesinar al icono del hip hop.

Gypsy Rose Blanchard podría estar embarazada, o al menos eso es lo que su marido podría estar diciéndonos.

Scott Anderson publicó una foto en Instagram el martes, que muestra su brazo sobre lo que parece ser el vientre de Gypsy mientras están acostados en la cama. Su pie de foto es aún más revelador y dice: "Yo y mi pequeña familia acurrucados juntos ❤️ @gypsyrose_a_blanchard".

Aunque Gypsy no ha contestado explícitamente ni ha respondido al post de Ryan, sí le puso me gusta, lo que es interesante, por supuesto, pues parece estar aprobando su mensaje.

Lo que ambos parecen estar diciéndole al público es que ella podría estar embarazada, lo que queda aún más demostrado con su visita al hospital la semana pasada.

Hay fotos de Gypsy y Ryan en un centro médico en Lake Charles, Louisiana, las que han estado circulando en las redes sociales con muchos afirmando que se trata de un asunto de bebé. De ser cierto, eso daría credibilidad a lo que Ryan parece estar anunciando ahora.

Como todos sabemos, Gypsy corrió directamente a los brazos de Ryan después de ser liberada. Ambos contrajeron matrimonio mientras ella estaba tras las rejas.

Gypsy habló efusivamente sobre su relación en el programa de Lifetime "The Prison Confessions of Gypsy Rose Blanchard". Ella le dijo a Ryan que estaba enamorada de él por teléfono, a lo que él respondió que ya se había enamorado de ella también.

Ryan le propuso matrimonio solo cuatro meses después de conocerse. Desde su liberación, han sido inseparables y han aparecido por todas partes juntos.

Por su parte, Gypsy ha estado defendiendo ferozmente a su hombre de todos los haters y casualmente dejó a entrever lo impresionada que estaba con sus habilidades en el dormitorio.

Si la noticia del posible embarazo es cierta, parece que han decidido ampliar la familia.

Gypsy Rose Blanchard may be pregnant -- at least that's what her husband seems to be telegraphing anyway.

Ryan Scott Anderson posted a photo on Instagram Tuesday, which showed his arm wrapped around what appears to be Gypsy's belly as they lie in bed. His caption is even more telling -- it reads, "Me and my little family cuddling together ❤️ @gypsyrose_a_blanchard."

While Gypsy hasn't explicitly replied or responded to Ryan's post ... she did like it, so that's interesting too of course. On its face, she seems to be cosigning the message he's sending.

What they both appear to be telling the public ... she might have a bun in the oven -- which looks to be further proven by the fact they paid a visit to the hospital last week.

Photos of Gypsy and Ryan at a medical facility together in Lake Charles, LA have been circulating online, with many on social media claiming they were there for baby stuff. If true, that would lend credence to what Ryan's seemingly announcing now.

As we all know ... Gypsy ran straight into the arms of Ryan after her prison release, this after marrying him while she was imprisoned.

Gypsy gushed about how their relationship kick-started on Lifetime's "The Prison Confessions of Gypsy Rose Blanchard" ... saying she told Ryan over the phone she was smitten -- and he said he'd had already fallen in love with her as well.

Ryan then popped the question just four months after they met face-to-face. Ever since her release -- they've been inseparable ... popping up all over the place side by side.

For her part, Gypsy's been fiercely defending her man from all the haters, while casually letting everyone know she's impressed with his skills in the bedroom.

If this would-be pregnancy news holds any truth ... it sounds like they're expanding their family.

Former Las Vegas Raiders cornerback Damon Arnette claims reports of his recent arrest for meth and gun possession are straight-up wrong ... insisting the whole thing is a giant misunderstanding.

Arnette's most recent legal trouble made waves on Monday ... with multiple outlets stating the former first-round pick was busted in Richardson, Texas on Jan. 6 and charged with possession of less than a gram of meth and unlawful carrying of a firearm.

The 27-year-old's attorneys released a statement to TMZ Sports shortly after the news broke ... and they are adamant Arnette's name will be cleared.

"Our client, at the time of the stop, was unable to provide law enforcement with his prescription for a lawful medication," Jason Lampert and Thomas Wynne said. "The arrest was predicated on Mr. Arnette being unable to prove the medication was prescribed, had he been able to do so at the time of the stop, there would have been no arrest for either the controlled substance or the firearms."

"Our offices are working with the local law enforcement to rectify this matter before any charges are brought by the District Attorney’s Office."

In other words, Arnette's team believes once the methamphetamine charge is sorted out, the gun charge will be handled as well ... as it's legal in Texas to carry a weapon without a license.

It's not the first time the former Ohio State star made headlines for the wrong reasons -- he was released from the Raiders after making threats and flashing firearms on video in 2021 ... and has had multiple off-field incidents.

Kim Kardashian does great work in criminal justice reform -- but in trying to shed light on one important case ... she mistakenly highlighted a guy who's got nothing to do with this.

The reality star flubbed Monday when she posted the wrong photo of death row inmate Ivan Cantu -- accidentally uploading an image of Ivan A. Cantu ... a project manager from New York.

TMZ spoke with Ivan about the social media mix-up -- and the planner tells us he learned of the error from his family. Understandably, he initially thought they were kidding ... as it's his 60th birthday. We're sure this wasn't the birthday surprise he expected!

In any case ... Ivan says he understands that someone from Kim's team likely shared the incorrect image by mistake ... although, he wouldn't say no to an apology since his photo was sent out to Kim's 364 million followers -- that's what he told us anyway.

The SKIMS founder has since taken down the mistaken post and replaced it with a local newspaper op-ed shedding light on the case. The mother of four has spoken out in support of the imprisoned Ivan -- who is currently incarcerated in Texas -- on more than one occasion.

Back in January ... Kim shed light on Ivan's case -- highlighting that the prisoner has always maintained his innocence in the 2000 murders of his cousin, James Mosqueda, and his cousin's fiancée, Amy Kitchen.

He is currently set to be executed on Wednesday after a prior execution date in April 2023 was canceled amid an appeal -- so obviously, this is a very serious matter.

Drake is throwing more support to his fellow Canadian Tory Lanez as he serves out his 10-year sentence in the Megan Thee Stallion case ... but Champagne Papi wants him out ASAP!!!

Following the Cleveland show of his, "It's All a Blur - Big As the What?" tour, Drake tossed up a black-and-white photo of Tory and captioned the flick "3 you" ... as in free the "Alone At Prom" singer from his current predicament.

Tory was found guilty of shooting MTS last August and promptly sentenced to 10 years ... and was eventually denied bond.

Megan's lawyer told us Drake and other doubters would eat crow ahead of the verdict but Drake's going Team Canada all the way.

Despite Drake's wishes, it appears Tory will be staying put for the time being ... a scenario Tory says he's since made peace with.

Fans are pissed at Drake for still standing by Tory and this isn't the first time he rubbed them the wrong way.

6:02 PM PT -- We've got some clarity on what police say happened ... with officers claiming they pulled Richard over just before 2 AM PT because he was going 79 MPH in a 60 MPH zone.

The officers say they administered several field sobriety tests to Sherman -- who they claim admitted to drinking two margaritas earlier in the night. They say they asked Sherman to take a breathalyzer test, which they allege he declined.

We're told Sherman's expected to appear in court Monday morning to address conditions of release -- so, bail has not yet been set.

Richard Sherman -- the former cornerback for the Seattle Seahawks -- has been arrested for driving under the influence near Seattle.

According to online records, Sherman was booked into King County Jail at 7:51 AM PT on Saturday for DUI.

Washington State Patrol reportedly told the local FOX affiliate that the matter's currently under investigation, but provided no further information on the arrest.

This is the latest arrest for Sherman, who has faced his share of legal issues over the years.

Remember ... Sherman was arrested on a domestic violence burglary charge after he allegedly tried to beat down his father-in-law's door back in 2021 -- an incident that was caught on video.

Richard eventually pleaded guilty to one count of negligent driving and one count of criminal trespass for the incident ... receiving a 90-day sentence, most of which was suspended.

Sherman was also sentenced to monitored supervision for 24 months in March 2022 as part of that deal ... unclear exactly how this arrest might be impacted by that.

The former cornerback spent 11 years in the NFL, winning a championship back in 2014 with the Seattle Seahawks. He's since embarked on a career in media, appearing as a talking head on Amazon Prime NFL broadcasts.

We've reached out to Richard for comment ... so far, no word back.

Maitland Ward crossed paths with convicted child molester Brian Peck on the "Boy Meets World" set before she knew he was a bad seed.

We got Maitland in Bev Hills and she told us about her experience with Brian, the 'BMW' guest-star who, in the early 2000s, was convicted on child sexual abuse charges.

Maitland says she was always suspicious of Brian ... saying he always wanted to hang around the cast, including Rider Strong and Will Friedle, despite being much older than them.

The way Maitland remembers it ... Brian made her feel like he was jealous she might get in between him and the cast ... and she's not surprised Brian got in tight with Rider and Will, because she felt that was always his intention.

As we reported ... Rider and Will recently talked about Brian's case on their "Pod Meets World" podcast, expressing shame and regret for ever affiliating themselves with him.

Brian spent a year behind bars as part of a plea deal he copped after being accused of molesting an unidentified Nickelodeon child star ... and now he's set to be featured in an upcoming documentary about Nick's ugly underbelly.

Maitland says she didn't know Brian was a pedophile, just that there was something strange and off-putting about him. She really respects the guys for shining new light on it.

Tammy Sytch is getting comfortable in her new digs -- a state prison in Florida -- after the WWE Hall of Famer was shipped off to the place she could call home until 2040.

51-year-old Sytch, who was sentenced to 17 years behind bars after she killed a man while driving drunk, also posed for a new mugshot ... and she doesn't exactly look thrilled.

The wrestling legend had been at the Florida Women's Reception Center in Ocala before she was moved to Lowell Correctional Institution ... just a mile away.

Lowell is an all-women's facility, the oldest in the state, and holds around 1,000 inmates.

Tammy's still got more than a decade and a half left on her sentence ... so she's got a lot of time to fill. Thankfully, LCI boasts several different programs for inmates like Tammy, including cosmetology and cooking classes.

There's even a vocational program on equine care -- AKA horses -- and operating heavy machinery.

The prison also offers aid to inmates battling alcohol addiction... something Sytch has struggled with over the years.

As for the grub at Lowell, it's not exactly like eating at a Michelin-starred restaurant, although perusing the menu ... it could be worse.

Lowell rotates four different menu options, over and over and over ... week 1, 2, and so on.

Sytch can look forward to breakfast options like "buttery oatmeal w/ brown sugar," pancakes, breakfast sausage patties, and scrambled eggs.

Lunch ... meatloaf, peanut butter and jelly, sloppy joe, and buffalo chicken are a few of the different foods.

As for dinner, Sytch will be served everything from a fish patty to turkey hot dogs (2 of 'em), chili mac, and even meatballs.

Tammy may also have an opportunity to hold down a job in prison ... though a rep for Lowell tells us she does not yet have a work assignment.

El juicio por homicidio involuntario de Hannah Gutiérrez-Reed comenzó el jueves, y tanto la fiscalía como la defensa han revelado sus pasos en la batalla judicial, con la fiscalía echándole la culpa directamente a Hannah mientras que la defensa apunta a un fallo institucional más amplio.

La armera de "Rust" -que fue acusada de homicidio involuntario en la muerte de la directora de fotografía Halyna Hutchins- apareció en un tribunal de Nuevo México, y las declaraciones de apertura se llevaron a cabo no hace mucho tiempo.

La fiscalía comenzó todo el juicio diciendo que creen que fue culpa de Gutiérrez-Reed la ronda que mató a Hutchins en el primer lugar.

Los fiscales dicen que Hannah no siempre se adhiere a los protocolos de seguridad en el set y afirman que no se ofreció a mostrarle a los actores las rondas dentro del arma o tener el arma inspeccionada delante el proceso, un protocolo que los fiscales insisten que se suponía que debía seguir.

Hannah no siguió los protocolos de acuerdo a la fiscalía, la cual afirma que van a proporcionar varios testigos que declararán que Guiterrez-Reed no realizaba adecuadamente sus funciones.

Dicen que regularmente dejaba armas y municiones tiradas por el plató e incluso permitió que munición real se abriera paso en el set. Incluso afirman que Hannah no podía reconocer una ronda en vivo.

Los abogados de Hannah dicen que se le encomendó la tarea de múltiples puestos de trabajo en el set cuando ella tenía solo 24 años -tanto armera como asistente de utilería- lo cual es mucho de que ocuparse. Su equipo afirma que la edad de Hannah y su relativo anonimato la convierten en el chivo expiatorio ideal para la tragedia.

También dicen que hizo bien su trabajo, señalando que incluso le pidió al director de producción más días de armera, porque estaba dividiendo el tiempo entre los puestos de trabajo y quería centrarse en sus responsabilidades. Sus abogados dicen que su solicitud fue denegada en última instancia por la producción.

Además, la defensa dice que la OSHA -una agencia gubernamental encargada de la salud y la seguridad en los lugares de trabajo- encontró numerosos errores en la producción en general, los cuales no se le pueden adjudicar solo a Reed. La defensa añadió que OSHA multó a la producción, y fue una de las más grandes en la historia de Nuevo México.

Alec Baldwin también fue mencionado, con Hannah diciendo que violó la regla más básica de seguridad de armas: no apuntes un arma a alguien a menos que quieras disparar. Dicen que o bien tenía el dedo en el gatillo o tiró de él, pero de cualquier manera, no fue culpa de Hannah.

Se supone que el juicio durará hasta el 8 de marzo y seguramente va a estar lleno de giros y vueltas.

Hannah Gutierrez-Reed's manslaughter trial kicked off Thursday, and both the prosecution and defense have revealed their hands for the court battle ... with the prosecution laying the blame squarely on HGR while the defense is pointing to a broader institutional failure.

The "Rust" armorer -- who was charged with involuntary manslaughter in the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins -- appeared in a New Mexico court, and the opening statements took place not long ago.

The prosecution started the whole trial by first saying they believe it was Gutierrez-Reed's fault the live round that killed Hutchins ended up on set in the first place.

Prosecutors say Hannah didn't always adhere to safety protocols on set ... for example, they claim she didn't offer to show the actors the rounds inside the weapon or have the gun inspected in front of them -- a protocol prosecutors insist she was supposed to follow.

Hannah not following protocols was common on set according to the prosecution, which claims they'll provide several witnesses who will testify about Gutierrez-Reed not adequately performing her duties.

They say she regularly left guns and ammo just lying around the set ... and even allowed live ammo to make its way on set. They even claim Hannah couldn't recognize a live round when it was sitting in her lap.

In Hannah's defense, her lawyers say she was tasked with multiple jobs on set when she was just 24 -- both armorer and prop assistant -- which was a lot to ask her to do. Her team claims Hannah's age and relative anonymity make her an ideal scapegoat for the tragedy.

And, they're also saying she did her job well ... noting she even asked the production manager for more armorer days -- because she was splitting time between jobs and wanted to focus on her responsibilities in that domain. Her lawyers say her request was ultimately denied by the production.

In addition, the defense says OSHA -- a government agency in charge of health and safety for workplaces -- found numerous mistakes in the production overall that can't just be pinned on Reed individually. The defense added OSHA fined the production ... a fine they say was one of the largest in New Mexico's history.

Alec Baldwin was also mentioned ... with Hannah's layers saying he violated the most basic gun safety rule -- don't point a gun at someone unless you want to shoot them. They say he either had his finger on the trigger or pulled it ... but either way, it wasn't Hannah's fault.

The trial's supposed to run through March 8 ... filled with what we imagine will be a ton of twists and turns.

Gabby Petito's family has reached a settlement with her killer Brian Laundrie's family in their emotional distress lawsuit ... but the details aren't being released to the public.

An attorney for the Laundries, Steve Bertolino, released a statement on the settlement Wednesday, according to CNN, saying the two sides had reached an accord to avoid going to trial in the case.

Bertolino said the terms of the settlement are confidential ... so, unclear exactly how much money they settled for, if any. But, it ends a years-long saga that began when Brian killed Gabby in late August 2021.

The Petito family also made a statement through their lawyer who said the sides "reluctantly agreed" to avoid a difficult legal battle and "prolonged personal conflict."

A couple days after Laundrie killed Petito, he reportedly called his parents and told them Gabby was "gone" and he was going to need a lawyer before going on the run and sparking a statewide manhunt. He was later found dead, and the death was eventually ruled a suicide.

This call was apparently made weeks before Gabby's body was found in Wyoming ... a killing Brian later seemingly confessed to in a series of writings found at his death scene.

Petito's family is still engaged in another lawsuit ... as we previously reported, Gabby's parents are suing the Moab City Police Department who interviewed Gabby and Brian on the side of the road in the weeks leading up to her death.

Former Brazilian soccer star Dani Alves was sentenced to four and a half years in prison after being found guilty of raping a woman in a nightclub in 2022.

Spain's top court in Catalonia decided on the sentence on Thursday following a three-day trial earlier this month where the 40-year-old former Barcelona star was found guilty of the December '22 crime.

The woman testified at trial that after dancing with Alves at a New Year's Eve party, they went to the bathroom, but she decided she wanted to leave ... that's when she said she was raped.

As for the 4 1/2 year punishment, the court said, "the sentence considers that it has been proven that the victim did not consent and that there is evidence, in addition to the testimony of the plaintiff, to consider the rape proven."

Alves will also have to pay a near-$163k fine to the victim.

It's not nearly the sentence length prosecutors were hoping for ... they wanted Alves thrown behind bars for 9 years. The victim was hoping for even more.

Despite the sentence, the victim's lawyer, David Saenz said they were happy the court acknowledged "that the victim was telling the truth and that she suffered."

Alves initially denied any wrongdoing, claiming he didn't know the woman, but later changed his story several times.

After biological evidence was presented, Alves admitted he had sex with the woman, insisting it was consensual ... saying he only lied because he was married.

Alves' lawyer Ines Guardiola continued to insist her client's innocent, announcing they'd appeal.

"I still believe in Dani Alves' innocence. We haven't read the whole sentence yet because it's very long, but we are going to study it in detail now. We defend [Alves'] innocence."

Before the arrest, Alves was considered one of the best defensive players of all time ... and spent time with Barcelona, Juventus, and Paris-Saint Germain during his 20-year career.

Kodak Black has been sitting in Florida jail for weeks after his arrest for drug possession back in December triggered a probation violation ... but we've now learned the "Super Gremlin" rapper finally got out on Wednesday and will no longer have to deal with supervised release.

According to court docs, Kodak admitted to violating the terms of his supervised release but the judge sentenced the rapper to time served without any further supervised release ... and it sounds like it's all due to Kodak's lawyer really going to bat for his client in his drug possession case.

Ever since the arrest, Kodak's lawyer Bradford Cohen has argued that lab testing proves the substance Kodak was caught with wasn't cocaine, but rather a prescribed medication ... insisting his client was the victim of a false arrest.

Lab tests determined that to be true and Cohen even sent a fiery letter to the Mayor of Plantation, FL, Nick Sortal over it, saying the officer's conduct exposed the city to a federal civil rights claim.

Marshawn Lynch just cut a deal with prosecutors in his DUI case ... avoiding a trial that was slated to begin in Las Vegas later Wednesday.

Court documents, obtained by TMZ Sports, show that as part of the agreement, the former NFL star's misdemeanor DUI charge will be reduced down to a reckless driving one if he completes several conditions.

Some of those, the docs show, include 200 hours of community service, DUI school, a $1,140 fine and keeping his nose clean for the next 12 months.

As an additional part of the deal, prosecutors agreed to drop the other charges Lynch had been facing.

Court records show Lynch is now due back in court for a hearing in the case in May.

Lynch's attorneys, Richard Schonfeld and David Chesnoff, said in a statement to 8 News Now following the agreement, "Mr. Lynch has not been convicted of any offense at this time. He has agreed to complete certain requirements which will result in this case being closed as a reckless driving traffic offense."

The ex-Seattle Seahawks running back was initially charged with the DUI -- as well as, among other things, one count of failure to drive in a travel lane -- back in August 2022 ... after officials accused him of getting behind the wheel of a 2020 Shelby GT500 while drunk.

Officials claimed Lynch tore up his car on the roadway ... before he parked it and fell asleep.

Police video shows when officers confronted Lynch ... he seemed uncooperative. And, after cops said he was "obstructing" their investigation, they pulled him from the car.

"Roll over," the cops could be heard telling him as they wrestled him to the ground. "Hands behind your back. No more games today."

Lynch's attorneys argued at the time "the vehicle was safely parked and not in operation" -- and therefore the DUI charge shouldn't stick.