Crime

9:11 AM -- Avenatti vehemently denies any wrongdoing. He said, "Any claim that any monies due clients were mishandled is bogus nonsense." He tweeted what he says is a testimonial from the paraplegic client he's accused of stealing millions from ... saying the client signed the doc less than a month ago attesting to his ethics.

Avenatti added he looks forward to proving his innocence.

8:52 AM -- TMZ's obtained the indictment and it's pretty damming. He's being indicted on 36 counts of fraud, perjury, failure to pay taxes and other financial crimes. According to docs ... Avenatti allegedly stole millions from a mentally ill paraplegic on disability who had scored a $4M settlement from L.A. County. The money had been wired to Avenatti in January 2015 and he allegedly hid the dough for years.

Avenatti's also accused of using $2.75 million in proceeds from another client's legal settlement to buy a private jet. Avenatti allegedly concealed that settlement too. The infamous lawyer is also accused of owing millions of dollars in back taxes and making false statements to the IRS.

Michael Avenatti's under a mountain of legal trouble now -- the IRS and the Department of Justice say he's been hit with a 36-count indictment that could land him in prison for life ... but he's already calling it BS.

A federal grand jury in California handed up the indictment Thursday, and if 36 charges sound like a lot ... it is. He faces up to 335 years in prison if convicted!!!

Avenatti says he intends to fully fight all charges and plead not guilty. He added, "I look forward to the entire truth being known as opposed to a one-sided version meant to sideline me."

As you know ... Avenatti was arrested and charged last month for allegedly trying to extort millions out of Nike. That case was brought on by the U.S. Attorney's Office in New York -- and on the same day, the U.S. Attorney's Office in L.A. announced a separate case against him for wire fraud.

If you're keeping score, that's 3 federal cases and dozens of charges.

As we reported ... Avenatti allegedly siphoned off a $1.6 million settlement he scored for a client in 2017 and hid it in a personal bank account he controlled in the wire fraud case. He's also accused of defrauding a bank for millions of dollars worth of loans by submitting fake tax returns between 2011 and 2013.

R. Kelly going to a club for an hour and walking away with $22k cash might have lots of people upset -- but his ex-wife sure ain't one of them ... quite the opposite, actually.

A rep for Drea Kelly -- R. Kelly's ex of more than 10 years -- tells TMZ ... she takes no issue with R. Kelly getting out there and making a buck -- but not because she thinks he's innocent ... it's more about what it means for her and their kids.

We broke the story ... R. Kelly showed up to a club in Springfield, Illinois over the weekend, where he sang a bit of "Bump N' Grind," hung out for less than an hour ... and walked away with $22,000. He asked the media to go easy on him, as this was just a means to an end.

We're told Drea sees it this way ... if R. Kelly's working to fulfill his financial obligations, "no one can be mad at him for that." Besides, Drea's rep tells us the man certainly has responsibilities that need tending to with dough ... for the sake of his kids.

As we reported ... R. Kelly went BACK to jail last month because he couldn't pony up his back child support bill ... more than $160k. He got sent to the can but was bailed out when someone covered his tab after spotting him (again).

Not only that ... as far we know, R. Kelly is still on the hook for nearly $21k per month in child support, which he was also unsuccessful in getting a judge to lower at the time.

No word on whether he's paid Drea that $21k -- which he presumably still owes her monthly for their minor child, who's 17.

It's interesting ... R. Kelly told Gayle King during his CBS interview he wasn't able to pay Drea, in part because she's badmouthed him to the media ... and torpedoed his ability to make money.

7:16 AM PT -- The U.S. Justice Department has accused Assange of conspiring with Chelsea Manning to hack a classified Pentagon computer.

Pam Anderson is enraged with Britain, The United States and President Trump after the arrest of her close friend Julian Assange.

Assange was arrested Thursday at the Ecuadorean Embassy in the UK after the country withdrew his asylum. Anderson went on a tear on Twitter Thursday morning, saying, "How could you Ecuador? (Because he exposed you). How could you UK.? Of course - you are America's bitch and you need a diversion from your idiotic Brexit bulls**t."

Pamela then turned her attention to The United States, tweeting, "And the USA? This toxic coward of a President. He needs to rally his base? You are selfish and cruel. You have taken the entire world backwards. You are devils and liars and thieves. And you will ROTT. And WE WILL RISE."

It was during an August interview with Harvey Levin on OBJECTified when Anderson revealed she and Assange had a very tight relationship.

The two have remained in constant contact while he remained in the Ecuadorean embassy.

Master P says the outpouring of love for Nipsey Hussle proves he was approaching the level of respect and adoration Michael Jackson fans had for him -- and he says you'll see that on display at Staples Center.

We got the hip-hop mogul outside Nipsey's Marathon Clothing store in South L.A. where he paid his respects and had glowing things to say about the slain MC. Master P says Nipsey might be gone, but his impact on the community will not be forgotten.

When he brought up Nipsey's Celebration of Life -- set for Thursday morning at Staples -- MP said that event is a testament to how many lives Nip touched. He added ... people who didn't realize Nipsey's importance when he was alive are getting the picture now.

We also got Teyana Taylor at LAX Wednesday and asked her thoughts on Thursday's memorial service ... which scalpers have tried to exploit by charging big money for the free tickets.

You can tell she's still disillusioned by Nipsey's murder, saying it still doesn't feel real. Check out her message to the scumbag scalpers too. She has some choice words for 'em.

Cops say they've found the guy who trained a laser pointer on Tom Brady's face during the AFC Championship game ... and shocker, the guy's a hardcore Chiefs fan.

Bonus shocker ... sources connected to the suspect tell us the guy had been boozing before he broke out the laser.

Remember, TB12 was hit with a green light during the wild 4th quarter of the Jan. 20 game at Arrowhead Stadium -- which the Chiefs eventually lost in overtime.

Cops investigated the situation and eventually cited 64-year-old Dwyan Morgan -- who we're told is a MASSIVE Chiefs fan.

Unclear how authorities were able to track Morgan down -- but we know there were a TON of cameras at the game both for the TV coverage AND for security purposes ... so that probably helped.

Morgan has now been hit with a disturbing the peace citation and faces up to ONE YEAR in jail plus a $1,000 fine if the judge decides to throw the book at him.

Sources connected to Morgan tell us ... his intention was never to hurt anyone, he was just trying to have fun and didn't expect things to blow up the way they did.

We're also told Morgan was drinking before the laser incident -- and we all know beer and lasers don't mix.

So, how does Morgan feel about the situation now? One source close to the Chiefs fan says he feels bad for embarrassing Chiefs Nation, but has no plans to apologize to the Patriots.

In fact, we're told he still hates the Pats and Tom Brady ... passionately and will continue to root against them -- just not from Arrowhead, because he's been banned.

We reached out to Morgan for comment -- but he ain't talkin'.

TMZ Sports has obtained new footage showing Conor McGregor swatting and smashing a cell phone in front of the Fontainebleau hotel in Miami ... right after doing his famous "Billionaire Strut."

The footage is being used in the criminal case against the UFC star stemming from a March 11 incident.

The footage begins at 5:21 AM showing Conor leaving the hotel with an entourage while Ahmed Abdirzak follows him out while recording McGregor on his cell phone.

At one point, McGregor reaches out to Ahmed as if he was going to shake his hand -- but then pulls back and violently smacks the phone out of the guy's hand.

Conor then stomps on the phone a couple of times before picking it up and walking away.

McGregor was arrested later that day and has since been charged with felony robbery and misdemeanor criminal mischief. If convicted on all counts, Conor faces up to 6 years in prison.

Conor has pled not guilty on all charges. A trial is scheduled to begin in May.

Ahmed Abdirzak filed a lawsuit against Conor over the incident -- but later struck a settlement with the UFC fighter and dropped his suit.

Seems Vince McMahon's XFL could be having a change of heart when it comes to Johnny Manziel -- because the XFL's commissioner says he hasn't ruled out a roster spot for the QB.

Of course, when Vince announced he was resurrecting the XFL back in January 2018, he was adamant players with any history of "criminality" would NOT be eligible to play in the league.

When he was asked specifically about Johnny Manziel in 2018, McMahon said -- "You want someone who does not have any criminality whatsoever associated with them."

The problem for Manziel ... he DOES have criminality associated with him.

Manziel was indicted for misdemeanor assault stemming from a 2016 domestic violence incident with his then-girlfriend.

The case went in front of a judge -- and Manziel ultimately cut a deal where he agreed to take an anger management course and keep his nose clean and in exchange, the charge would be dropped.

Manziel successfully completed his end of the bargain -- and it seems the XFL is satisfied too.

Because, when XFL commish Oliver Luck appeared on the "PFT PM" podcast this week, he didn't slam the door on hiring Manziel.

"If he is able to meet our standards and if our coaches think he’s one of the top quarterbacks out there that can help us,” Luck said ... “Certainly we have no reason not to believe he couldn’t be in the mix."

"But, again it’s really up to our coaches in terms of the quarterbacks they wanna take a look at."

You gotta think XFL officials have discussed Manziel -- he's probably the biggest name out there that the league could realistically get.

The XFL could be a great option for Manziel who's had a rough football life after washing out of the NFL. He's been subsequently banned from the CFL and recently lost his job in the AAF when the league folded.

Robert Kraft is redoubling his efforts to block officials from releasing explicit video from inside the Orchids of Asia Day Spa ... claiming once the video's out, his shot at a fair trial goes kaput.

In new court docs obtained by TMZ Sports, Kraft's attorneys argue releasing the video -- which allegedly shows Kraft receiving sex acts -- would inflict "irreparable harm on Mr. Kraft before essential legal determinations and proceedings can run their course."

In other words, Kraft knows EVERYONE would watch the video and it would be impossible to get an impartial jury if the case goes to trial.

"If released, these ... videos are guaranteed to be broadcast all around the world, thereafter making it virtually impossible for Mr. Kraft to obtain a fair trial."

Kraft also argues that releasing the video would cause harm to the masseuses -- whom officials say might be victims of a sexual offense. In essence, Kraft claims he wants to protect them too.

As we've previously reported, Kraft also believes the videos were illegally obtained because cops had no right to put hidden cameras into private massage rooms.

But, Florida officials beg to differ in new court docs ... saying there was an abundance of information on easy to find "Rub and Tug" online message boards justifying their sting operation on the Orchids of Asia Day Spa.

Officials say they found a TON of online reviews of the spa in which men bragged about getting sex services there.

And then, there's this ...

Nipsey Hussle's Downtown L.A. memorial service will be a heavily guarded affair -- and it's got a lot to do with the chaos that broke out at a vigil a week before ... TMZ has learned.

Sources familiar with Nipsey's Celebration of Life at the Staples Center arena this Thursday tell us there will be an abundance of security from multiple agencies and organizations -- all with the intention of keeping the memorial peaceful and drama-free.

We're told security on hand Thursday will feature a mix of muscle -- from members of the LAPD, members of the Nation of Islam, as well as Staples Center personnel. Our sources say the LAPD is only on hand to offer assistance ... helping to move traffic, keep the peace and to step in if needed.

The reason for such a strong presence ... our sources say a big part of it has to do with Nipsey's family's wishes in wanting to prevent further violence -- especially in the wake of the chaos that broke out at Nipsey's L.A. vigil last week ... which cops now say left 2 people shot.

According to a search warrant -- obtained by TMZ -- cops are still on the hunt for the person who allegedly pulled the trigger with the intent of killing others. A possible added danger to Thursday's ceremony.

As we first reported ... Staples Center honchos and officials with the LAPD were heavily involved with the planning early on, and it appears they're gonna keep a close watch on how people come in and out.

The logistics for Thursday's event were released Monday, and tickets were gone within a couple minutes after they were released on Tuesday. The tickets became such a hot item, second-hand websites shut down pages trying to sell them for hundreds of dollars.

Lori Loughlin, her hubby and all the parents involved in the biggest college admissions scam in U.S. history should NOT do any time behind bars ... so says Steve Madden.

We got the famous shoe designer, and ex-con, Tuesday in NYC ... and who better to ask about Lori and Mossimo Giannulli 's case? Remember, Madden did 2 and a half years in prison for money laundering and stock fraud.

He joked Lori might need some help at the prison commissary soon -- but then got serious about what she's facing.

As we reported ... a Federal Grand Jury indicted Lori and Mossimo with an additional crime of "conspiring to launder the bribes" on top of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud. The new charges could mean nearly 5 years in prison, at minimum, if they're convicted.

Steve, who admits he knows Mossimo, thinks a prison stretch is absurd in this case. Watch the video ... he calls their $500k plan to get their girls into USC, "misguided, for sure" -- but adds it doesn't warrant incarceration.

A$AP Bari would probably do great on "Deal or No Deal" ... after scoring a hell of a deal in his drug case.

The Northampton County D.A.'s Office in Pennsylvania tells TMZ ... the rapper recently showed up to court and pled guilty to a single misdemeanor charge of possession of weed. Under the deal ... we're told A$AP will only be fined four thousand bucks. No jail and no probation. So, that's it ... case closed.

Huge ... considering Bari had originally been charged with 2 felonies for possession of a controlled substance and intent to deliver. He'd also been slapped with 5 misdemeanor charges ... including possession of drug paraphernalia.

William H. Macy's fully focused on getting a fresh start ... around his house, now that Felicity Huffman's agreed to strike a plea deal.

The actor was seen leaving an L.A. home improvement store Tuesday with a couple of brand new hoses in each hand. William looks to be in full-on dad mode to knock out some household chores -- something he probably didn't give a crap about while he and his wife weighed her legal options.

As we reported ... Felicity agreed to plead guilty for her role in the college admission scandal -- in which she was accused of paying $15k to have her daughter's SAT scores rigged. She pled guilty to conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud.

While her sentence will ultimately be up to a judge, prosecutors have recommended she get off relatively light ... with around 4 months in prison. Felicity, however, is reserving her right to argue for 0 days behind bars. The judge will get the final call.

Either way, Felicity has fully accepted responsibility for cheating the college system, and she apologized for it. She's still feeling the fallout though ... Netflix has shelved a rom-com she's in that was set to come out later this month.

Lori Loughlin, meanwhile, still hasn't come to the plea deal table and just got slapped with more charges because of it. A federal grand jury indicted her Tuesday for money laundering -- which could mean nearly 5 years in prison even if she cops a plea.

10:35 AM PT -- Well, prosecutors did exactly what we reported early Tuesday morning. Since Lori did not cop a plea, the U.S. Attorney went to a Federal Grand Jury to get an indictment, adding charges of money laundering. This now DRASTICALLY increases the amount of time Lori and her husband would get as a minimum recommended sentence.

Specifically, the U.S. Attorney says, Lori, her husband and 14 others will now be charged with the additional crime of "conspiring to launder the bribes and other payment in furtherance of the fraud by funneling them through [Rick] Singer's purported charity and his for-profit corporation."

The money laundering charge alone carries a maximum of 20 years in prison.

This means if Lori and her husband now want to plea bargain their cases, instead of a minimum range of 2 to 2 and a half years in prison ... prosecutors would recommend to the judge a MINIMUM RANGE OF 4 YEARS AND 9 MONTHS UP TO 5 YEARS AND 11 MONTHS.

There's also a very technical rub. Theoretically by charging CONSPIRACY to money launder, the minimum sentence could go even higher -- way higher.

Short story ... prosecutors are out for blood.

Lori Loughlin and her husband are in a way worse position than Felicity Huffman ... because the huge amount they allegedly paid in bribes to get their daughters into USC could land them in prison for 2 YEARS MINIMUM ... TMZ has learned.

Sources connected to the case tell us ... all of the parents in the college cheating scandal have been offered plea deals, but prosecutors will only accept pleas with prison time attached.

As we reported, Felicity copped a plea Monday, along with 12 other parents. The remaining 37 individuals charged -- including Lori and her husband, Mossimo Giannulli -- have been offered plea deals, with varying recommendations for prison sentences, largely determined by the amount they paid in bribes and whether they accept responsibility for what they did.

Felicity's plea would enable her to serve as little as 4 months in prison. The problem for Lori and Mossimo is that they paid $500,000 to allegedly bribe the crew coach, and the amount raises the MINIMUM PRISON SENTENCE IN A PLEA DEAL TO A RANGE OF 2 TO 2 1/2 YEARS.

Our sources say prosecutors have given all defendants an ultimatum ... reach a plea deal QUICKLY or else they will go to a Federal Grand Jury and add charges, including money laundering, which significantly raises the low end of prison time.

Nipsey Hussle's death certificate has been released -- his cause of death is listed as gunshot wounds to the head and torso -- and the rapper was pronounced 35 minutes after the shooting outside his store.

We broke the story ... the Crenshaw rapper was gunned down last week in the Hyde Park neighborhood of Los Angeles. Nipsey was rushed to the hospital, and his family and celeb friends showed up shortly after he arrived.

Nipsey's death certificate -- obtained by TMZ -- lists his occupation as an artist and entrepreneur. It says he was never married at the time of his death and worked in the entertainment and real estate industries. Nipsey was pronounced dead at 3:55 PM on March 31 ... 35 minutes after he was shot.

Nipsey was shot in plain view of a surveillance camera, and footage shows the shooter -- who cops believe to be Eric Holder -- opening fire 3 different times on Nipsey before kicking his body and fleeing the scene. Two other people were shot, but survived.

Nipsey's brutal murder has sent shock waves throughout Los Angeles and beyond, with celebs and sports stars paying tribute to the slain rapper in many different ways. Candlelight vigils are being held across the globe and a massive memorial service will be held at Staples Center Thursday.

Nipsey will be buried at Forest Lawn Memorial Park.

As we first reported ... the family of the slain rapper wants to do something spectacular so as many of his fans can pay their respects ... a procession will follow Thursday's ceremony through the streets of L.A.

Nipsey was just 33.

UFC star T.J. Dillashaw has just been hit with a 2-year suspension for failing a drug test before his January 19 title fight against Henry Cejudo.

Dillashaw tested positive for Erythropoietin -- aka EPO -- which is a synthetic hormone that's considered a cleaner alternative to blood doping, the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency has announced.

EPO is often used by athletes to increase oxygen transport and aerobic power, according to USADA.

Dillashaw has accepted the suspension -- which means he won't be eligible to fight until Jan. 2021.

Dillashaw provided the dirty sample on Jan. 18 -- one day before the fight.

What's even worse for T.J. ... he lost the fight against Cejudo in a 1st-round stoppage.

The 33-year-old fighter had issued a statement on the situation last month saying he was "disappointed" and was trying to figure out what happened.

"While words can't even begin to express how disappointed I am at this time, please know that I'm working with my team to understand what has occurred and how to resolve this situation as quickly as possible," Dillashaw said at the time.

After the positive test, Dillashaw relinquished his UFC bantamweight title so he could "deal with the matter."

Before the Cejudo fight, Dillashaw had defeated Cody Garbrandt twice.

The NHL has just suspended Slava Voynov for the entire 2019-20 season over a domestic violence incident from 2014 ... the league has announced.

As we previously reported, Voynov pled no contest to misdemeanor corporal injury to a spouse -- stemming from a 2014 altercation with his wife at their Redondo Beach, CA home.

Cops said Voynov's wife told them the hockey player kicked, punched and choked her -- and also slammed her head into a TV. Cops said she was bleeding when they arrived to the scene.

Voynov was ultimately sentenced to 90 days in jail and 3 years probation, which he completed last year.

The L.A. Kings terminated Slava's $25 million contract in 2015 -- and he moved back to his native Russia where he resumed his hockey career.

But, now that his probation is over, he wants to play in the NHL again -- and recently met with NHL officials to discuss possible reinstatement.

Enter NHL Commish Gary Bettman ... who says if Slava wants to return, he needs to be punished by the league for his actions -- even if those actions are almost 5 years old.

Bettman decided a 1-year suspension was sufficient and made the announcement on Tuesday.

"I have determined that Player Slava Voynov engaged in acts of domestic violence directed at his wife,” Commissioner Bettman said.

"Today’s ruling, while tailored to the specific facts of this case and the individuals involved, is necessary and consistent with the NHL’s strongly-held policy that it cannot and will not tolerate this and similar types of conduct, particularly as directed at a spouse, domestic partner or family member."