Crime

3/4 -- In a statement, Peter tells us, "I understand the seriousness of the allegations that have been filed against me, however the allegations are false. I do have faith in the judicial process and have no doubt that I will be acquitted from any wrong doing. While I can offer no further information about this incident, I do confirm that my attorney is handling this matter expeditiously."

'Real Housewives of Atlanta' star Peter Thomas just got arrested in Miami on an out of state warrant ... TMZ has learned.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... Peter was busted Friday after getting off a plane at Miami International Airport. We're told he was taken into custody on a warrant from Louisiana for allegedly writing fake checks, and he's being held without bond.

You might remember Peter from the time he pulled a knife on Kenya Moore's ex, Matt Jordan, during a brawl in the middle of a radio interview. He claimed self-defense.

Peter and Cynthia Bailey got married on season 3 of 'RHOA' -- but they separated back in 2016. He still appears on the show every once in a while, usually with his stepdaughter, Noelle Robinson.

Story developing ...

Young Dolph got suddenly and shockingly screwed out of HALF A MILLION BUCKS Friday ... when someone busted into his whip and made off with his watches, electronics and a bunch o' cash.

Dolph was minding his biz, eating lunch at Cracker Barrel in Fairburn, GA -- and according to a police report, a restaurant staffer interrupted his meal to say, hey ... someone just smashed the window of your Mercedes-Benz G-Wagon! Cops say this is what the thieves nabbed in the heist:

-- Richard Mille watch worth a whopping $230k

-- Patek Philippe watch worth $85k

-- 2 diamond chains worth $84k

-- 2 Cartier sunglasses worth $24,700

-- Apple MacBook, iPad, AirPods worth $3,700

-- Pirelli backpack worth $300

-- Louis Vuitton wallet worth $700

-- $2k in cash (all $100 bills)

Interestingly, cops say a Glock handgun was also stolen.

We're told police checked nearby surveillance cameras and found footage of a silver car pulling in front of the G-Wagon, and someone smashing its window. The suspect then fled in the silver car.

Dolph might be asking himself, where's comedian Russell Peters when you need him?

Jussie Smollett's taking extreme measures to avoid being seen, but everybody's gotta eat ... so we caught a glimpse of him walking into a Chicago restaurant.

We're told Jussie arrived at Eddie V's Prime Seafood Thursday night around 9:30 in a black SUV -- very similar to the one he took from jail last week, along with some of his siblings and security.

The "Empire" star kept his head down under the hood of a large winter coat as he hustled in, and stayed about an hour.

Our sources say Jussie's been hounded by media and hasn't been able to stay at his own apartment since the mob scene last week when he was released, so he's been hunkering down at a swanky hotel.

Clearly, he's trying his best to keep a low profile.

As we reported ... Jussie's been charged with disorderly conduct for filing a false police report in what Chicago PD's Superintendent called a "publicity stunt."

Smollett maintains he was attacked and denies orchestrating a hoax.

Meek Mill fanboy'd HARD after congratulating Tom Brady on winning the Super Bowl ... 'cause the QB messaged him back with compliments of his own ... and the rapper is still geekin' out about it!!!

The Philly rapper detailed his private social media convo with TB12 while speaking at the MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference in Boston on Friday ... saying he reached out to Brady to praise him for being the G.O.A.T.

But, what happened next caught Meek by surprise, 'cause Brady responded -- praising the rapper's mental toughness through Meek's controversial stint at a Pennsylvania state prison.

"I didn't know Tom Brady knew who I was, I just took a shot, and he was like 'I seen you been through so much,'" Meek says.

Meek says Tom added, "'What you went through was kinda like, almost harder than winning the Super Bowl game, bro.'"

Meek -- who was speaking about criminal justice reform with his friend and REFORM Alliance co-chairman, Michael Rubin -- says Brady praised his activism and says what he's accomplished in the world of prison reform is way tougher than winning 6 Super Bowls COMBINED.

21 Savage just got a big break in his deportation case ... the D.A. has rejected the felony case against him involving a concert promoter who claims he took $17,000 without performing.

TMZ broke the story ... 21 was booked to play a club gig in Southern Georgia back in 2016. He got the $17k but never performed -- he wanted the singer who was up before him to get off the stage and, when the DJ refused, 21 bailed. The promoter got a warrant but never pursued it, until 21 was back in the news after getting arrested by ICE. She then went to the D.A. to jump-start her case.

The D.A. passed it off as a civil matter and rejected the case.

The federal R. Kelly investigations are expanding -- agents specializing in human trafficking cases have now reached out to Kelly's former stylist, who has ties to a couple of the singer's exes.

Sources close to celebrity stylist Kash Howard tell TMZ ... Dept. of Homeland Security agents contacted Kash Wednesday and wanted to schedule a sit-down with her. It appears the call was prompted by a video that popped up all over YouTube this week.

In the video, Kash is behind the wheel of a car with 2 of Kelly's ex-girlfriends, Halle Calhoun and Vonecia Andrews, as they talk to a media outlet about their relationships with the singer. Vonecia, aka Vee, was sobbing throughout the video, which our sources say Kash recorded last year.

We reached out to Kash, and she says, "Mr. Kelly hired me as his personal Fashion Stylist where I provided wardrobe direction for concerts, album cover shoots, and special appearances. Our professional relationship along with all communication ceased in March of 2017."

She also tells us she was only in the video because she was offering moral support to Halle and Vonecia.

As for Kelly's legal battle, Kash says, "Mr. Kelly faces very disturbing charges. And while I have never personally witnessed any wrongdoing, I support those in search of the truth."

TMZ broke the story ... the feds have 2 separate U.S. Attorney's Office investigations going, and will meet with Joycelyn Savage's parents, who say they have "physical evidence" to turn over.

We're told DHS also reached out to the Savages, and agents are in contact with Kash's attorney to set up the meeting with her.

Kelly's attorney, Steven Greenberg's reaction to the investigation is ... "That’s their job. But just because they are looking into something, certainly nobody should conclude that they have any evidence of any wrongdoing or a crime was committed.”

Jussie Smollett being attacked in a hate crime sounded fishy and far-fetched from the jump -- according to a guy who has no love for the "Empire" actor -- Milan Christopher.

The ex-"Love & Hip Hop: Hollywood" star and model tells TMZ ... he believes the "Empire" star's alleged attack was an elaborate plot to grow his brand, and it's actually working -- at least on social media.

Milan -- who is gay -- says he smelled a rat from the get-go, especially because Jussie's story changed so much ... and every gay black man will now feel the consequences.

Milan is also incredulous that Jussie referred to himself as "the gay Tupac."

Christopher has obvious issues with Jussie, whom he called out earlier this week on Instagram, saying ... "let me tell y'all a little story about an evil jealous black gay man I once met."

He insinuated Jussie tried to torpedo his career and block him from scoring a role on "Empire." Milan said, "This insecure jealous queen did everything in their power to keep me from expanding my brand and having a new platform that would empower my reach & expand my 'Empire.'"

Milan later deleted the post, but judging from the video ... there's still some bad blood.

Chris Brown's friend, Lowell Grissom Jr., will NOT face any rape charges ... this according to the L.A. County District Attorney's Office.

Lowell had been accused of raping a woman at CB's house during a February 2017 party. The alleged victim, Jane Doe, sued Lowell and Chris back in May 2018 ... claiming she was supplied with cocaine, molly and weed and allegedly forced into performing sexual acts.

But, the D.A.'s office now says it won't file any charges against Lowell ... citing insufficient evidence.

According to legal docs, obtained by TMZ, the D.A.'s office says, "Based upon the lack of corroborating evidence and some slight discrepancies in the victim's version of the facts, this matter cannot be proven without a reasonable doubt. Therefore, with the concurrence of the investigating officer, prosecution will be declined."

Doe's attorney, Gloria Allred, claimed during a news conference the case was "one of the most horrific sexual assault cases" she had ever seen. Grissom denies the allegations and his attorney accused Allred of a blatant attempt at a money grab.

Aretha Franklin's death was sad news for everyone except maybe one person -- the person who allegedly swiped nearly $200k from her bank account months before she died.

As we reported ... the "Queen of Soul" had assets stolen before she died in August 2018, and police in Michigan launched an investigation into someone pilfering her funds.

Oakland County prosecutors tell TMZ ... Aretha actually filed a police report in June 2018 claiming someone stole checks and managed to transfer $178k from her account. Investigators were able to ID a person of interest ... but not until after Franklin died.

We're told that's a big problem for the case, because prosecutors say they don't have enough evidence to file charges against someone on just the police report ... additional testimony from a witness to the crime and/or the alleged victim is needed.

The prosecutors tell us they weren't able to get crucial testimony from Aretha while she was alive, so they lack the evidence to confirm how the checks were accessed or whether she willingly gave the person of interest the dough.

We're told it's possible additional evidence could surface, but for now ... the case is on ice.

As we reported ... Aretha's estate is dealing with other financial issues too, including the IRS hounding her over back taxes and lawyers trying to collect on unpaid bills.

BlocBoy JB is handling a slew of criminal charges head-on -- cops in Tennessee say he turned himself in peacefully Thursday morning.

The Memphis MC was busted on multiple charges ... according to the Shelby County Sheriff's Office. You'll recall authorities over the weekend said BlocBoy was wanted for possession of drugs and drug paraphernalia, being a convicted felon in possession of a handgun and for theft of property.

Since the cops put out the alert on him, the rapper posted several videos on Instagram ... which certainly made it seem like he was NOT planning on going easily. It's unclear who or what convinced him to surrender.

BTW ... BlocBoy became a huge deal in February 2018 after dropping his hit single, "Look Alive" ... featuring Drake.

Super BTW ... BB's "Shoot" dance -- which went viral after appearing in the track's popular music video -- is the subject of a lawsuit against Fortnite.

Robert Kraft has formally entered a not guilty plea in his prostitution case, according to court records obtained by TMZ Sports.

"The defendant Robert Kraft hereby pleads not guilty to all charges and requests a non-jury trial in the above-styled cause," the court docs state.

As we previously reported, Kraft's attorney accepted the summons from the court on Feb. 26 -- and an arraignment was set for March 27 at 8:30 AM ... the same day Kraft was expected to be at the NFL's Annual League Meeting with other team owners in Phoenix, Arizona.

Kraft had already made a public statement denying he participated in any illegal activity -- in response to allegations he solicited prostitution at the Orchids of Asia Day Spa in Jupiter, Florida.

Officials say they have graphic surveillance video showing the 77-year-old New England Patriots owner entering the spa on January 19 and 20 ... and receiving sex acts in exchange for money.

If convicted on both misdemeanor counts, Kraft faces up to a year in jail.

12:10 PM PT -- Demaryius Thomas is addressing the accident for the first time, telling TMZ Sports ... “Over the past several days I have had time to really think. It saddens me that I caused pain to those whom I love most.”

DT's rep added ... "Demaryius is extremely remorseful for exceeding the speed limit which led to the automobile accident in Denver, February 16th. Demaryius is taking full responsibilities for his actions and ensures that nothing like this will ever happen again!"

NFL wide receiver Demaryius Thomas was arrested Wednesday night for "vehicular assault" -- in connection with a February 16 crash in Denver, authorities say.

Officials say Thomas was driving at speeds exceeding 70 MPH in a 30 MPH zone -- which not only qualifies as reckless driving, but also felony vehicular assault.

If convicted on the felony charge, Thomas faces up to 3 years in prison and a $100,000 fine.

Officials say they conducted an investigation into the crash using "information from the vehicle and preliminary speed analysis" to confirm Thomas was traveling at over 70 miles per hour.

Thomas is listed on the police report as 6'3", 230 pounds.

We've obtained DT's mug shot -- you can see Thomas suffered a left eyeball injury.

As we previously reported, the 31-year-old ex-Broncos star was driving around Denver around 12:20 AM. We spoke with witness Michael Tafoya, who said he lost control of his car, hit a curb and rolled 3 times before landing in a grassy median.

Cops and emergency personnel arrived to the scene a short time later and took over -- managing to free Thomas and his 2 passengers.

Cops say all 3 people in the car were transported to a nearby hospital to be treated for injuries. One of the passengers suffered serious bodily injuries as a result of the crash.

A witness tells TMZ Sports ... Thomas seemed to be fine other than a "hellacious knot" on his head.

Eric Dickerson has a message for all the people throwing dirt on Robert Kraft's name -- STOP IT!!! -- telling TMZ Sports people need to quit judging over the Pats owner's prostitution case.

All sorts of people have ripped the 77-year-old NFL owner ever since officials named him as a "John" in a prostitution sting in Jupiter, Florida last week. Some people are even calling for the NFL to force Kraft to hand the team over to his son.

ED says it's just not fair to bash Kraft ... calling out all the people who have been quick to turn on him.

"A lot of these hypocrites are making comments about that situation," Dickerson says. "They're hypocrites. You never know what a man does behind closed doors."

Dickerson clearly supports Kraft, despite the recent scandal, saying, "I like Mr. Kraft. I like him a lot, I have a lot of respect for him."

As we previously reported, Kraft -- who's being charged with 2 misdemeanor counts of soliciting another for prostitution -- is set to be arraigned next month during the NFL's Annual League Meeting. He has adamantly denied doing anything illegal.

Feds investigating R. Kelly are about to get their hands on "physical evidence" against the singer ... courtesy of the family of one of his alleged victims.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... Joycelyn Savage's parents are set to meet with federal investigators in New York to discuss matters related to 2 separate U.S. Attorney's Office probes into Kelly -- one by the Eastern District of NY, and another by the Southern District.

We're told the Savages will provide information on witnesses and those closely associated with Kelly ... AND turn over materials they refer to as "physical evidence." Our sources don't know exactly what that evidence includes.

The sources do say both federal investigations are "progressing very quickly" ... thanks to cooperation and testimony from several people, including Michael Avenatti and some of his clients.

As for what the feds could pin on Kelly -- we're told it could involve the Mann Act, which prohibits the transportation of minors across state lines for purposes of sex or debauchery.

TMZ broke the story, Joycelyn's parents also want to confront Kelly at his Chicago Trump Tower apartment in hopes of getting through to their daughter.

New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft is set to be arraigned in his prostitution case on March 27 -- the same day NFL owners will be gathering in Phoenix for the annual league meeting.

Palm Beach County court records show the arraignment date has been set. The official NFL website says March 27 is the final day of the Annual League Meeting, where owners discuss important topics ranging from rule changes to the national anthem policy. Kraft was at the event in 2018.

Court records show 77-year-old Kraft was "arrested" on February 26 by the Jupiter Police Dept. -- but sources connected to the case tell us the word "arrested" is misleading because Kraft was never taken into custody.

Instead, we're told Kraft's attorney accepted service of a court summons for his arraignment -- and that action was entered into the system as an arrest.

As we previously reported, Kraft is being charged with 2 misdemeanor counts of soliciting another for prostitution for allegedly paying for sexual services at the Orchids of Asia Day Spa in Jupiter, Florida.

According to officials, Kraft went to the massage parlor on January 19 where he paid for services from 2 women. Cops say he went back the very next day and paid for another sex act.

Officials say the incidents were captured on surveillance video -- including the graphic sex acts.

For his part, Kraft has denied any wrongdoing.

If convicted, officials say Kraft faces up to 1 year in jail.

Cops say they also have surveillance footage of Kraft entering and leaving the massage parlor -- where he was picked up and dropped off by a driver in a blue Bentley.

The day after officials announced the case against Kraft, he was spotted in Beverly Hills at a pre-Oscars party ... not looking concerned at all.

He later flew back from L.A. to Boston on a private jet with Tom Brady and Gisele ... and again, didn't appear to be too concerned about the case against him.

Officials say Kraft was not the main target in the prostitution sting -- but rather one of at least 100 men who patronized the massage parlor.

Instead, cops say their main focus was on the women who were allegedly masterminding a state-wide prostitution ring in which they're accused of importing women from other countries and putting them to work as sex slaves who essentially lived in terrible conditions in various massage parlors.

One of R. Kelly's alleged victims says the 2 new sex tapes remind her all too much of what she went through with the singer -- but the difference is she thinks prosecutors will nail him this time around.

Lisa VanAllen was on "TMZ Live" Wednesday, and she told us the descriptions of the new tapes are basically par for the course. Lisa was one of the 2 young women on the original R. Kelly sex tape, for which he went on trial, but was ultimately acquitted in 2008. She was 17 at the time that tape was recorded.

As you know ... Michael Avenatti provided prosecutors with 2 new tapes, and he says they're depraved and shocking.

Lisa tells us everything R. Kelly allegedly does in the videos -- coaching the teen through sex, choking her, calling out her age -- sounds like the same Kelly she was dating. She also believes Avenatti is on point with his allegations about Kelly's camp intimidating witnesses in the 2008 trial.

She's written a book -- "Surviving the Pied Piper" -- about her time with Kelly, which she says included a contentious run-in with Foxy Brown. She insinuates Foxy was jealous, and tried to sabotage Lisa's involvement in parts of Kelly's shows. As for why? Just watch.