Crime

DMX mistakenly rolling away with someone else's ride could cost him dearly if the feds find out he hopped in the driver's seat ... something X insists he did NOT do.

Sources close to DMX tell TMZ ... his lawyers think he's gonna get pulled in before a judge soon to explain what the hell happened last weekend in L.A. ... when his crew drove off with someone else's Corvette in a big ol' mixup. We're told the concern is he might have violated the probation in his tax evasion case.

As we reported ... X and his posse left a restaurant early Saturday morning, and the valet gave them someone else's car by mistake. They rode away, and the owner of the car reported it stolen. Cops got the car back pronto without arresting anyone.

Despite it being a clear gaffe on the valet's part, we're told X's camp thinks prosecutors are gonna squeeze him because there's confusion as to whether or not he was driving. DMX doesn't have a license right now, so driving would be a clear probation violation.

Our law enforcement sources tell us feds are just "looking into it" -- and it seems they're only basing their suspicions off our post. There are no images of DMX behind the wheel, as far as we've seen.

Charles Barkley says there are no winners in the Jussie Smollett saga -- only losers -- and he feels TURRIBLE for the "real" victims of hate crimes whose stories will now be called into question.

"It's a really bad situation for everybody involved," Barkley told us in NYC ... "There's no winners. We're all losers."

Barkley has been ripping Smollett's tale about being attacked by homophobic racists for weeks -- even clowning the "Empire" actor as a liar on "Inside the NBA."

So, now that the 16 felony charges Smollett was facing for allegedly lying to police have been dropped -- we wondered if Barkley would back off Jussie.

Spoiler Alert: NO.

We asked Chuck if he thinks Jussie skated -- he replied, "That's an understatement."

Should Jussie have gone to jail?

"I don't think he shoulda went to jail, but it's unfortunate."

And, that's when Barkley told us about the "real victims" in the Smollett saga.

"Anybody who's gay who gets beat up, they're the real losers ... or black [people] who get beat up, they're the real losers."

As for Jussie, he maintains his innocence.

7:09 PM PT -- Jussie's attorney, Patricia Holmes, has just released a statement, condemning the local authorities who "have continued their campaign against Jussie Smollett after the charges against him have been dropped." She continues, "The case is closed. No public official has the right to violate Mr. Smollett's due process rights."

Holmes points out that Jussie is allowed the same rights as every citizen -- that he "is innocent until proven guilty in the court of law" and also has the right to speak freely about his innocence.

She states, "We respectfully request all government agencies involved live up to the ethical tenets of their office ... The case was dismissed. We should all allow Mr. Smollett to move on with his life as a free citizen."

The Cook County State's Attorney has circulated an email asking prosecutors in the office to come up with other examples where they just dropped felony charges the way they did in the Jussie Smollett case ... this, as Jussie was making a hasty retreat out of Chi-Town via O'Hare International Airport.

According to the memo, obtained by the CBS affiliate in Chicago, the brass wrote, "We are looking for examples of cases, felony preferable, where we, in exercising our discretion, have entered into verbal agreements with defense attorneys to dismiss charges against an offender if certain conditions were met, such as the payment of restitution, completion of community service, completion of class, etc."

Here's the problem. Jussie did not do community service. Community service is often part of a plea deal where a certain number of hours is required by defendants who are convicted or cop a plea. In Jussie's case, all he did was spend a few hours over the weekend at Rainbow PUSH. That is not community service.

As for restitution .. Jussie forfeited a $10k bond, and that's it. As the Mayor said, it doesn't come near to paying the cost of the investigation.

The email goes on to say, "Nobody is in trouble, we are just looking for further examples of how we, as prosecutors, use our discretion in a way that restores the victim, but causes minimal harm to the defendant in the long term."

The concept of "minimal harm" to the defendant is confusing. Typically what happens is that a defendant would plead no contest to a reduced charge or a reduced number of charges, and maybe get community service and/or pay restitution. That didn't happen in Jussie's case.

2:42 PM -- Foxx is on a media blitz, and she just told ABC7 in Chicago her office did NOT ask for the resolution in Smollett's case to be made under seal. She says Smollett's criminal record -- in relation to the police report -- is what should have been kept under seal. She says her office is in the process of unsealing the resolution.

Foxx also broached the subject about her recusal and added there was zero outside influence on the case. Michelle Obama's former chief of staff, Tina Tchen, clarified her contact with Foxx saying, "Shortly after Mr. Smollett reported he was attacked, as a family friend, I contacted [Foxx], who I also know from prior work together."

"My sole activity was to put the chief prosecutor in the case in touch with an alleged victim's family who had concerns about how the investigation was being characterized in public."

Cook County State's Attorney Kim Foxx is going to bat for her office, which opted to let Jussie Smollett walk ... saying the public just doesn't understand this is how the law works.

Foxx went on WBEZ Radio in Chicago Wednesday and said she understands the confusion for those on the outside "who don't understand the intricacies of the justice system, who don't understand alternative prosecution or diversion or alternate outcomes outside of prison or lengthy probation."

On the flip side, Foxx -- who recused herself from the case -- says those who know the legal system know "the likelihood that someone would get a prison sentence for a Class 4 felony is slim."

As we reported ... First Assistant to the Cook County State's Attorney Joseph Magats said prosecutors dropped the case because Smollett doesn't have a violent criminal history and lying about the alleged attack was NOT a violent crime.

Foxx echoed Magats sentiment that although the charges were dropped ... everyone in their office backs the police investigation, and believes Jussie staged the attack. As she put it to WBEZ, you don't typically see people "give up $10,000 of their hard earned money" unless they're being held accountable for something.

NFL wide receiver Demaryius Thomas has pled guilty to careless driving resulting in injury stemming from a Feb. 16 car crash ... and he'll spend the next year on probation.

As we previously reported, the 31-year-old Pro Bowler was initially arrested for vehicular assault after losing control of his car around 12:20 AM ... and flipping his ride onto a grassy median.

Thomas and his 2 passengers were injured in the wreck -- with DT suffering an eye injury and a "hellacious knot" on his head, according to a witness.

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.

Thomas was initially facing 3 years in prison for felony vehicular assault -- but struck a deal with prosecutors in which he agreed to plead guilty to the lesser misdemeanor charge of careless driving resulting in injury.

Court records show Thomas was sentenced to 1 year probation and 50 hours of community service, and was ordered to pay fines and restitution.

Thomas -- who is currently an NFL free agent -- previously issued a statement on the crash saying, "It saddens me that I caused pain to those whom I love most.”

The 2 brothers who allegedly faked the homophobic and racist "attack" against Jussie Smollett will not go public and stand by their claim it was all staged ... and we've learned their lawyer has quit as a result.

Moments after Jussie was cleared by the State's Attorney, the lawyer for Abel and Ola urged them to make a public statement, standing by their claim Jussie faked the "attack." We're told they refused, and ultimately their lawyer, Gloria Schmidt, bailed on them, saying she didn't want to rep them anymore.

The question ... why would Abel and Ola go radio silent, especially because Jussie essentially pointed the finger right back at them, saying he never lied and the "attack" was real? The police, prosecutors and even the 2 brothers say they were the ones in the street with Jussie ... but everyone other than the actor says it was a hoax.

Mama June says she isn't threatened at all by her boyfriend and needs him by her side because he takes care of her ... this according to new legal docs.

Mama says she is partially blind, and her BF Geno Doak helps her get through the days dealing with it. According to docs -- obtained by TMZ -- she claims he's also very loving toward her kids and they are in love and working on their relationship.

She wants the court to know she does not fear for her safety or worry about what Geno could do to her, so she's asking the court to lift the order saying he has to stay away from her ... and she'd like his domestic violence charge dismissed too.

We broke the story ... Mama June was arrested for allegedly having crack cocaine on her after a gas station domestic violence incident. Geno was also arrested and allegedly threatened to kill her, which is why the court ordered him to stay away. The couple ignored the order, though, by hitting up a casino together a few days later.

Sources close to June's family says Geno's a bad influence on her, but she claims in the docs that's not the case. As for the gas station incident ... June says the situation "got heated and out of hand, but never was I in fear for my safety or did I want the police involved."

She adds she's lived with Geno for 3 years and they're "working on our relationship to make us stronger as a couple."

Jussie Smollett hasn't regained the full support of his "Empire" family despite criminal charges against him being dropped ... and things are still very divided among cast and crew.

Production sources tell TMZ ... there are still people on the set -- especially writers -- who believe the dismissal of charges is a vindication, proving Jussie was a victim. Point of fact ... the State's Attorney believes Jussie staged the attack but felt it was a low-priority, non-violent crime that would have resulted in a punishment of community service, so why bother.

We're told there are a number of people on the "Empire" set who share the view that Jussie staged the attack and are shocked by the lack of consequences ... and don't want him back on the show. They are especially offended Jussie allegedly faked the attack to squeeze more money out of producers.

The contingent who are angry at Jussie believes he's a liability to the show and should be cut if the show comes back for season 6.

One thing has united the cast ... they are all thrilled the case is now closed because they believe it's a threat to the show's future.

Fact is ... the case isn't closed. The FBI is still investigating the letter that was sent 8 days before the "attack," to determine if Jussie sent the letter. If that conclusion is reached, he could face federal charges.

Beth Chapman isn't letting cancer beat her down or keep from enjoying the finer things in life ... and she says the bad guys still aren't safe either.

Dog the Bounty Hunter and his wife were dining out at Avra in Beverly Hills Tuesday night, and she's looking fantastic despite her recent cancer diagnosis. Beth tells us it's an everyday struggle, but she's hanging in there and choosing to stay positive ... and Dog's by her side.

Beth points out the couple's still doing what they're known for too -- catching criminals on TV. We broke the story ... Dog and Beth were committed to filming their new reality series on WGN, "Dog's Most Wanted," while she received chemo for her throat cancer, and sounds like they're gettin' it done.

Dog has some interesting thoughts on the Jussie Smollett case -- he has great sympathy for the actor.

Jussie Smollett got off in his criminal case simply because he's a celeb -- so says Chicago's mayor, Rahm Emanuel ... who stops short of calling this a corrupt move, but certainly insinuated it.

Mayor Emanuel went on GMA Wednesday morning following his blistering attack on the Cook County State's Attorney's Office the day before, after they dropped all 16 charges against Jussie and let him walk scot-free.

The Mayor said flat-out ... if he did the same type of thing, he'd have the book thrown at him.

First Assistant to the State's Attorney Joseph Magats says they decided to drop the charges because it wasn't a violent crime -- and thought Jussie coughing up $10k and doing community service sufficed as punishment. Hizzoner says no one on the outside can make sense of it.

Natalie Portman was caught in the middle of a scary situation at her Los Angeles home after a man she'd previously been granted protection against showed up outside her property.

Law enforcement sources say Portman saw the man -- who claims he is the character, "John Wick" -- around 3:30 Tuesday afternoon just outside of her home. We're told Portman immediately called cops and left the premises.

Police showed up within minutes and arrested the man for violating a restraining order the actress had against him.

TMZ Sports has obtained pictures of the injuries a woman claims she suffered after Dak Prescott's dog attacked her ... and they're graphic.

You can see in the photos the woman's ring finger on her right hand is severely mangled -- with a piece of the tip clearly missing.

As we previously reported, Dak's two pit bulls broke out of his Frisco, Texas home on Feb. 25 and one of his dogs, Icon, made his way to Beth Taylor's front yard -- chewing through her fence and wreaking havoc.

50-year-old Taylor says the animal attacked her dog ... and when she tried to break it up -- Icon bit into her hand.

She says she was hospitalized for 4 DAYS because of the attack ... and needed IV treatment for 2 weeks.

Dak's dog was placed in quarantine after the incident ... and was set to face a "dangerous dog" hearing this month, where possible punishment included the death penalty.

But, officials let Icon off the hook just days before the hearing would take place ... releasing him back to Dak under the condition he is removed from Frisco.

For his part, Prescott never commented on the issue ... and multiple attempts to reach his camp for comment were unsuccessful.

Justin Bieber had a scary moment in his hotel room when a woman barged in and got busted for trespassing.

Justin was staying at a fancy hotel in Laguna Beach Tuesday afternoon when the crasher suddenly burst in ... according to law enforcement. Our sources say she'd been partying and roaming the hallways of the hotel earlier in the day, and security had actually escorted her off the property.

We're told she returned for some reason and walked straight into Justin's room. Seems like Biebs didn't panic ... he told the woman to beat it, and then his security stepped in and held her until cops arrived.

Cops say the woman, who is in her late 30s, appeared to be drunk and claimed she entered Justin's room by mistake. She was booked for trespassing.

We're told she was visiting hotel guests Monday and spent the night in a room close to Justin's.

Jussie Smollett logged a total of 18 hours of community service over 2 days -- with Jesse Jackson's organization, the Rainbow PUSH Coalition -- and that was enough to satisfy prosecutors in Chicago.

Honchos at Rainbow PUSH -- a civil and human rights organization -- tell us, Jussie volunteered for the first time Saturday, putting in 8 hours from 10 AM to 6 PM. He just completed another 10 hours on Monday.

We're told Jussie's "service" included stuffing membership envelopes, working in the group's bookstore to sell merchandise ... and critiquing its Saturday broadcast. We're told he helped them with camera angles, and also worked with the music director on a plan to build the choir.

A Rainbow PUSH rep says it was their decision, not Jussie's, to keep his work with them under wraps. The rep added that they viewed his efforts as volunteering, not community service. Point being ... Jussie never mentioned his deal with prosecutors. Remember, the prosecutor's office says it was in discussions with Smollett's camp for weeks about dropping the charges.

Another group, the Black AIDS Institute, wrote a letter in support of Jussie.

1:05 PM PT -- First Assistant to the Cook County State Attorney Joseph Magats -- who replaced Kim Foxx when she recused herself -- says they dropped the charges because Smollett doesn't have a violent criminal history, and lying about the alleged attack was not a violent crime.

Magats says his office prioritizes violent crimes in Chicago, and felt this case wouldn't be the best use of resources. For the record, he says he made this decision alone ... without consultation from Foxx.

He also squarely says he believes Jussie DID concoct a hoax and lied about it to police. Even though Chicago PD and Mayor Emanuel ripped the State's Attorney's Office ... Magats made it clear he stands by the findings of the cops, and believes they had the evidence to get a conviction.

The obvious question is asked ... why take the case to a grand jury, only to drop the charges? Check out Magats' answer -- a lot of people, and not just Chicago PD, won't buy what he's selling here.

BTW, Magats says discussions have been going on for weeks with Jussie's camp ... about dropping the charges, and his community service. All of which must have been done in total secrecy because we know cops, the Mayor and others involved in the case had no clue this was going to happen.

10:45 AM PT -- Mayor Rahm Emanuel is very strongly hinting at corruption in the State's Attorney's Office, calling the decision to drop the charges against Smollett a "whitewash of justice."

The Mayor added, "From top to bottom, this is not on the level." He called for accountability from the prosecutors.

Emanuel was joined by Chicago PD Superintendent Eddie Johnson who said he didn't feel justice was served by letting Smollett off the hook.

What's more, Johnson said if Jussie was, in fact, innocent ... he should've taken his day in court, and not broker a backdoor deal in secrecy. Bigger picture -- Johnson feels the City of Chicago is still owed an apology, as he believes Jussie carried out a hoax.

10:15 AM PT -- FOX says, "Jussie Smollett has always maintained his innocence and we are gratified that all charges against him have been dismissed."

As for WHY they were dropped -- you'll recall State's Attorney Kim Foxx recused herself from the case. She reportedly had asked cops to stand down at the behest of Tina Tchen -- Michelle Obama's former Chief of Staff and a friend of Jussie's family. The conflict forced Foxx to bow out.

The Cook County State's Attorney's Office tells us the decision to drop all charges against Jussie was made by Joseph Magats -- the First Assistant State's Attorney -- who was placed in charge of the case after Foxx's recusal, and NOT by Foxx.

It's still odd. Sources tell TMZ the prosecutor in the case, as late as Friday afternoon, was making plans to handle issues involving cameras in the courtroom for the trial ... and seemed completely unaware of plans to drop the case.

9:22 AM PT -- Jussie and his lawyer, Patricia Holmes, just addressed the media, and the takeaway message was simple ... he's happy and wants to get on with his life. Holmes reiterated this was not a deal Jussie struck with prosecutors -- instead, they dropped the charges on their own, and he forfeited his bond voluntarily ... it wasn't a tit-for-tat situation.

Jussie thanked everyone who supported him through this case, and maintained he'd been truthful and consistent throughout the case. He added ... that he would never put the LGBTQ movement "through a fire like this." He also thanked his "Empire" cast members for their support.

If you're wondering if things will really get back to normal for Jussie -- he stopped to take a few selfies with fans on his way out of court.

And there's this ... federal law enforcement sources tell us Jussie is still under investigation for the threatening letter -- with racist and homophobic slurs -- that was sent to him at the "Empire" studio 8 days before the alleged attack.

You'll recall ... the Chicago PD Superintendent claimed Jussie sent it to himself, but our sources say the FBI had not reached that conclusion yet.

8:45 AM PT -- Jussie's family has also released a statement celebrating the news. They state, "This morning truth has prevailed and (Jussie) has been vindicated."

They continue, "While many were quick to rush to judgement before hearing the actual truth, we are grateful that the truth about Jussie has come to light. We look forward to bringing the real perpetrators to justice."

8:35 AM PT -- State's Attorney Kim Foxx's office says, "After reviewing all of the facts and circumstances of the case, including Mr. Smollett's volunteer service in the community and agreement to forfeit his bond to the City of Chicago, we believe this outcome is a just disposition and appropriate resolution to this case."

The statement is consistent with what our sources said about Jussie only getting community service if he'd been convicted. The decision is NOT sitting well with Chicago PD.

On the other hand, Jussie's co-workers on "Empire" are celebrating on Twitter.

Jussie Smollett will not be prosecuted for allegedly faking a racial attack, because all charges have been dropped!!!

Jussie and his lawyers ran to court Tuesday morning in Chicago, where he was facing 16 felony counts of lying to police in the alleged racial and homophobic attack.

Jussie will surrender his $10,000 bond. But, that's it. The case is over.

We're told the State's Attorney, Kim Foxx, told Chicago police she was dropping the case because Jussie would have only gotten community service if convicted and she said he has already performed community service so there is no point in prosecuting him. We could not find any record of Smollett doing community service.

We're told Chicago police are "furious" and feel something untoward is going on with Kim Foxx.

Jussie Smollett had pals of his in the Cook County State's Attorney's ear early on in his case -- and, based on leaked correspondence, it looks like she acted on his behalf.

Texts and emails between State Attorney Kim Foxx and two Jussie allies -- one of which is reported to be a family member of his -- have been leaked, and they show that Foxx was asked to intervene in the case a few days after he'd reported the alleged attack to Chicago PD. It appears that she did exactly that ... and kept Jussie's camp in the loop.

The initial correspondence started when Michelle Obama's former chief of staff, Tina Tchen, emailed Foxx to say that she was reaching out on behalf of Jussie's family to express "concerns" they had with how the investigation at that point was being handled.

Jussie had not been charged with a crime yet, but it's believed Chicago PD was already doubting his story and leaking info to the press pushing that narrative.

Foxx responded to Tchen on Feb. 1, saying ... "Spoke to Superintendent Johnson. I convinced him to Reach out to FBI to ask that they take over the investigation. He is reaching out now and will get back to me shortly."

The same day, an unnamed relative of Jussie's texted Foxx herself, as well, and Foxx said she was working on getting the case sent over to the FBI. The relative replied, "Omg this would a huge victory." Foxx then responded, "I make no guarantees, but I'm trying."

Later, Foxx recused herself from the case when Jussie became a suspect. And, of course, her office just announced Tuesday that it was dropping all of the charges against Jussie, after coming out strong with a 16-count indictment just weeks earlier.

Her official reasoning for dropping the charges ... Jussie has done community service in the community, so we're good. Her office asked a judge to seal the case, and they obliged. Mayor Rahm Emanuel strongly hinted at corruption in the State's Attorney's Office.

The Chicago-Tribune first reported on the leaked texts and emails.