Crime

Howie Day was arrested in NYC after a woman claimed he'd assaulted her -- this a year after he was arrested for something similar ... TMZ has confirmed.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... the "Collide" singer was busted Friday after he allegedly got into an argument with a woman at a hotel in Manhattan's Financial District. Things got so heated that cops were eventually called ... and the woman reported that Day had grabbed her, thrown her around, wrapped his hands around her throat and squeezed.

When cops arrived, we're told 8 Xanax pills were found in Howie's pocket. The woman, whose relationship to Howie is unclear, reportedly sought medical attention and got a protective order against Howie as well.

He was booked on charges ranging from assault with intent to cause physical injury, criminal obstruction of breathing and possession of a controlled substance. Howie was reportedly arraigned Saturday, where he's said not to have entered a plea. He bailed out on $500 bond.

This, of course, is a huge deal ... seeing how Howie was arrested in April 2018 for a similar alleged incident -- only that one was caught on video. In surveillance footage, obtained by TMZ, you can see Howie shove his then-girlfriend, Carrie Pencek, at least once.

He's also on tape slamming the car door, throwing his music gear around and looking visibly upset, which promoted Carrie to get out of the vehicle in a panic. At the time, cops showed up at his house to arrested him for fourth-degree assault.

Todd Chrisley is in the crosshairs of the feds for allegedly extorting his daughter with a sex tape, but the big plot twist -- ex-'Bachelorette' contestant Robby Hayes claims to have damning evidence against Chrisley.

As you know, Lindsie Chrisley accused her estranged father and brother, Chase Chrisley, of extorting her. Robby is the other person with her on the alleged sex tape, and sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... he submitted a slew of evidence Thursday to the U.S. Attorney's Office. We're told he turned over text messages and other correspondence from Chase and believes they prove Todd's son -- and possibly Todd -- were coercing Lindsie and Robby.

Our sources say FBI agents now want to speak to the season 12 'Bachelorette' star. Robby tells TMZ ... he submitted an affidavit and answered all questions from federal prosecutors. He adds, "At this point, this is all frustrating and this sex tape situation has been held over my head before. Hopefully all wrongdoings come to light."

As we first reported ... Lindsie filed a police report earlier this month dropping the bombshell extortion claim against her family members. She claims they wanted her to lie under oath about her estranged parents' tax mess.

We're told Lindsie's team has also been in contact with the feds ... submitting their own evidence, including a 2-year-old tweet from Todd with the hashtag #thxgodforpuppycams. That's significant because Robby has publicly claimed, "We did not make a sex tape. I'm not sitting there with a camera ... like, we got caught on the security camera, basically. It was a puppy camera in her friend's living room."

However, our sources say the feds got a hold of the owner of that puppy cam ...who told them no tape exists.

Chase's rep says the same -- there is NO sex tape, and adds ... "Chase has never made any extortion threats to Robbie. Moreover, they are friends."

A spokesperson for Todd tells TMZ, the Chrisley patriarch will cooperate with the investigation and adds he has "nothing to hide."

R. Kelly's desperate to retain the attorney who successfully defended Michael Jackson in his child molestation case ... so much so his team's hitting up anyone it can for financial help to pay what will become an enormous legal bill -- and it might be working.

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... Kelly's industry contacts have been in touch with his team and expressed a desire to help with his legal fees.

We're told these people have agreed to anonymously help foot the bill so the singer can land attorney Tom Mesereau ... the guy who got MJ acquitted in 2005, the same year he got Robert Blake acquitted of murdering his wife.

Our sources say there's a big catch -- the money won't come in unless Kelly fires his current lawyer, Steven Greenberg ... so for now, it's all just verbal commitments. Greenberg, as we've told you, has called the whole situation "a complete load of crap."

Truth is ... Kelly will have to pull a Brinks truck up to Mesereau's office to land him. Just like in the New York federal case, the defense will require forensic experts, experts in sex trafficking, P.I.'s and on and on. That case alone will easily cost a million bucks to defend.

Of course, Kelly's also charged with various sex crimes in 3 other jurisdictions -- Illinois State, Illinois Federal and Minnesota State. We're hearing he might also face charges in Detroit and Atlanta.

Lance Stephenson is clearly emotional about his old pal Sebastian Telfair getting sentenced to 3.5 years in prison ... telling TMZ Sports, "That's like family right there."

Telfair -- a 1st round pick in the 2004 NBA Draft -- was found guilty of felony weapons possession stemming from a crazy 2017 arrest where cops say they found an arsenal of weapons, ammo, bulletproof vest and weed. He's currently serving out his sentence in a NY State Prison.

28-year-old Stephenson tells us he grew up playing ball and training with 34-year-old Telfair ... and still strongly believes his old friend is a good person who can get his life back on track.

"I know he's a good kid," Lance says ... "He's got great spirit. I know it's very tough on him and his family."

Lance added, "I'm trying to support as much as I can but it's very hard. That situation's very tough."

"I'm praying for him too. I think he'll be alright."

Telfair was facing up to 15 years behind bars, so he got off relatively easy -- but during the sentencing hearing, he begged the judge for even more leniency.

"Please don’t take me from the society right now," Telfair told the judge ... "I’m 34. I can go play in China for another six years, take care of my family."

Rapper Jackboy -- Kodak Black's protege -- was busted in Florida after police say they found him eating marijuana in an effort to hide the illegal substance during a traffic stop!!!

Jackboy was arrested Thursday in Pompano Beach ... and police say, after they pulled him over for driving around with tinted windows, his BMW sedan reeked of reefer and an officer noticed him chewing something strange.

According to the police report ... cops ordered Jackboy out of his whip, and told him to open his mouth, revealing what turned out to be chronic!

After spitting out the saliva-covered sativa, Jackboy was booked for possession of marijuana and tampering with physical evidence.

Jackboy only had a little bit of tree on him, but Florida ain't California or Colorado ... the Sunshine State still takes weed very seriously.

Seems Jackboy is taking the Kodak Black playbook a little too far ... Kodak's got a long rap sheet too and, as we reported ... KB just pled guilty to lying on federal gun applications.

Former 'Bachelor' Chris Soules is on board with a 2-year in prison sentence, but he's getting a pass on doing time behind bars.

Soules' attorney filed docs accepting the D.A.'s proposed sentence for his conditional guilty plea to leaving the scene of an accident resulting in serious injury. The D.A. recommended he get a 2-year suspended sentence, and Soules is officially accepting the deal.

The judge still has to sign off on the deal, but assuming it's approved ... Soules would effectively be on some form of probation under the supervision of Iowa's Dept. of Correctional Services for the 2 years.

As we reported ... Soules entered his plea in November. The crime is an aggravated misdemeanor.

Prosecutors say Soules slammed his pickup truck into a John Deere tractor in April 2017, sending the tractor and its driver flying into a ditch. Chris remained at the scene until EMTs arrived, but he bounced before cops showed up. He insisted he did everything in his power to help the driver, who eventually died.

Soules' attorney argued his client suffered a concussion during the crash and claimed Chris dialed 911 and administered CPR before paramedics arrived.

You'll recall ... Soules was arrested at his house after initially refusing to come out. Prosecutors say he bought booze before the fatal accident.

However, according to docs, Soules' lawyer says all witnesses at the scene agreed there was no indication he'd been drinking.

Soules appeared on season 19 of "The Bachelor" in 2015.

The young rapper whose earned praise from Kylie Jenner, Drake and Meek Mill had a very public run-in with the law that ended with his arrest ... and his reps are calling the move racist.

Rapper Ambjaay -- famous for his hugely successful track, "Uno" -- was busted Thursday about an hour east of L.A. in Rancho Cucamonga after directing hundreds of high school kids to show up to a nearby park for a free pop-up concert.

So, why the move? The 19-year-old rapper wanted to reward the students from Rancho Cucamonga HS after a video showed them turning up to "Uno" last week ... hence the free concert. Problem was ... Ambjaay didn't have a permit, this according to law enforcement sources.

We're told police responded to the park and told Ambjaay he had to shut it down, but we're told he instead directed fans to another park. Cops tell us they got wind of this ... and that's when they pulled him over, searched his car and arrested him for disturbing the peace. He was later released.

A rep for Ambjaay tells TMZ ... all the rapper was trying to do was give back to a community that had showed him mad love. The rep straight-up calls this a classic case of racial profiling. The rep adds the disturbance occurred only AFTER police wouldn't let the rapper perform.

Mike Tyson says Conor McGregor is a "wonderful person" who's earned a shot at redemption with the public ... telling TMZ Sports, "He's a really kind man."

The boxing legend was leaving Cipriani in NYC on Thursday -- around the same time Conor was finally addressing his pub attack on ESPN ... when Iron Mike explained why Conor should be able to bounce back from his latest scandal.

"He's a wonderful person. He's a really kind man and he's gonna get good karma for that," Tyson said ... "I believe that."

Tyson also told us he thinks Conor has "earned" a 2nd chance for his actions.

Iron Mike and the Notorious aren't just friends -- they smoked weed together in late 2018 ... with Conor praising Mike on social media.

"I will always have the height of respect for you," Conor said after they kicked it together in Ireland ... "I love you Mike! Iron Mike Tyson!"

Of course, Conor essentially begged for forgiveness from his fans during an interview with ESPN's Ariel Helwani ... claiming he's trying to change for the better after several violent incidents.

He even owned up to acting like a jerk in an Ireland bar back in April -- admitting he was in the wrong for punching a 50-year-old man in the face.

As for Tyson, we also asked about the DOUBTERS who say Mike's claim about smoking $40k in weed per month is wrong. Tyson had a comment for them too ...

"They don't know how to dream," Tyson said before noting ... "Yeah, [the number] is a reality!"

Adam Lambert, Usher, 'Real Housewives' star Dorit Kemsley and former football star Shaun Phillips are the latest celebs to be hit by burglars ... but this one has a twist.

Beverly Hills realtor Jason Emil Yaselli and an alleged accomplice, Benjamin Ackerman, are accused of various crimes between December 2016 and August 2018, including first-degree residential burglary, identity theft, conspiracy to commit burglary and money laundering ... including an allegation that they took more than $500,000 through fraud and embezzlement.

Here's the twist ... some of the crimes were allegedly committed during open houses in the Beverly Hills, Brentwood, Hollywood Hills and West Hollywood area. Presumably, during the open houses, the defendants allegedly pilfered stuff.

The complaint says the realtor would encourage his accomplice to steal luxury items from 14 homes, sell them and use the proceeds to make payments on the realtor's credit card.

The realtor was arrested Wednesday. The accomplice pled not guilty and his bail was set at $1.2 million. Prosecutors say they will recommend bail of $1.73 mil for the realtor.

If convicted, the 2 men face a max of 31 years in prison.

Kodak Black just did an about-face and cut a deal in his federal firearms case.

The rapper was in court Thursday for a change of plea hearing where he told the judge he was now pleading guilty ... after initially pleading not guilty to lying on federal gun applications.

Kodak has been in federal detention since his arrest in May -- the judge denied his request to be released on bond, calling him a danger to the community. His sentencing is now set for November 13, and he could get several years in prison.

As we reported ... Kodak was busted at the Rolling Loud festival, when officers had warrants for his arrest after he'd been indicted on the false statement charges.

Kodak's alleged firearm application lie ... is that he was NOT under any indictment for a crime that could land him behind bars for over a year.

Of course, the rapper IS in the middle of a very serious criminal case -- he was indicted for allegedly sexually assaulting a teenage girl in 2016 at a hotel in South Carolina.

Paz de la Huerta, who's already accused Harvey Weinstein of rape, claims to have new explosive facts about him, but she's willing to keep it out of the courts -- IF he ponies up big time.

According to a demand letter obtained by TMZ ... the actress wants at least $2 million from the disgraced Hollywood producer or she'll file a new lawsuit against him. She's previously sued him over 2 alleged incidents in 2010.

To add some extra firepower, Paz is threatening more damaging allegations against Weinstein. Among them ... she claims Weinstein developed an "immoral and unwholesome interest in her sexually" when she was just 14, and working on the film, "The Cider House Rules."

The actress also alleges The Weinstein Company rented apartments in NYC that were used "exclusively for the illicit sexual activities of Harvey Weinstein" ... including a unit on the same floor of the building where she lived as a child.

She alleges this rental was used to track her as she grew and continued to offer her work ... and then he raped her when she came of age.

Even worse, de le Huerta suggests Weinstein's company -- including his brother, Robert -- knew about his proclivities and should have warned her.

As we reported ... Paz and her lawyer met with prosecutors last month, but so far the Manhattan D.A. has declined to criminally prosecute Weinstein over her allegations.

If she gets the multi-million-dollar settlement she wants, she promises not to file a new civil suit and to stop pushing for criminal charges.

New England Patriots star Patrick Chung has been indicted for cocaine possession and now faces PRISON time if convicted.

It all stems back to an incident in New Hampshire on June 25 when cops say the 32-year-old was in possession of coke.

The case went to a grand jury which ultimately decided to charge Chung with a Class B felony which carries up to 7 years in prison if convicted, according to the Laconia Daily Sun.

Chung -- who's won 3 Super Bowl rings with the Patriots -- is scheduled to be arraigned next week.

Officials say Chung was not formally arrested and there is no mug shot.

Details surrounding the incident are sparse -- we're working on it.

Story developing ...

The man who was punched in the face by Conor McGregor at a pub in Ireland is breaking his silence ... and he's BRAGGING that he can take a punch!!!

The victim spoke with the Irish Daily Star on the condition of anonymity -- and explained why he thinks Conor socked him with a left during an incident caught on video back in April.

"I am sitting on the bar stool just having a quiet pint with my friend then all of a sudden because I refuse his drink I get a punch," the man said ... "You don’t need that in life."

TMZ Sports broke the story ... Conor had been pouring shots of his Proper 12 whiskey to people at the Marble Arch Pub in South Dublin when one man refused ... and Conor let his fist fly.

The man took the punch like a champ -- with UFC star Stipe Miocic praising the dude's "chin of steel" -- and now the guy is bragging about his toughness too.

"Look-it, I can take a punch,” he told the Irish Daily Star.

Despite the way it played out on video, the man claims the punch really hurt and he was in pain for a week ... and went after Conor during his interview.

"He is a bit of a bully, a bully with money ... I'm glad people saw the video. I don't like him."

The man still has one major beef -- but it seems to be with the media. It was reported the guy was 60-years-old ... but the man wants to set the record straight.

"I'm 50."

As we previously reported, Conor has not been arrested or charged with a crime for the attack ... and cops in Ireland say they're still investigating, which is crazy because the whole thing is ON VIDEO!!!

Mario Williams -- the #1 overall pick in the 2006 NFL Draft -- was arrested for trespassing Tuesday after an incident at a woman's home in Houston, TMZ Sports has confirmed.

The 34-year-old defensive end -- who hasn't played in the NFL since 2016 -- was allegedly inside of the home without permission.

Sources connected to the incident tell us Williams "broke into the home and began yelling at" the woman who lives there. We're told the woman was extremely emotional and screamed at him to get out.

Cops were called to the scene and Williams was arrested and taken to a nearby jail where he was booked for trespassing. Bond was set at $100, which Williams has already paid. He's now out of custody according to official records.

Court records show Williams is listed at 6'7", 290 lbs.

Records show Williams has been ordered to undergo a mental health or intellectual disability assessment. According to the KHOU.com, the woman has previously filed a restraining order against Mario.

Williams is due back in court August 27.

Williams was a beast in the NFL -- making the Pro Bowl in 4 different seasons, along with 3 All Pro Teams.

After being signed with the #1 pick -- over Reggie Bush -- he signed a 6-year, $54 million rookie contract. After that, he famously signed a massive $100 million contract in 2012 with the Buffalo Bills -- with $25 million guaranteed. He last played with the Miami Dolphins in 2016.

Cristiano Ronaldo says 2018 was "probably my worst year ever" after publicly being accused of raping a woman more than 10 years ago in Las Vegas.

The soccer superstar was accused of sexual assault by Kathryn Mayorga in June 2009 after meeting her at a nightclub. She claims he took her back to his hotel room and raped her.

Cops opened an investigation last year and eventually decided that CR7 will NOT be charged in the case ... but Ronaldo says it was hard to have people question his character.

"When people question your honor, it hurts, it hurts a lot," Ronaldo told Portuguese television TVI.

Ronaldo did not address the case specifically, but really didn't need to. It's obvious he's referring to the allegation.

"When people attack your honor, it is difficult."

It's just about time for Tekashi 6ix9ine to pay the piper, testifying in open court against his alleged kidnappers ... while knowing full well it could make his family members targets of gang retaliation.

The rapper -- who's currently incarcerated on federal racketeering charges -- is expected to testify next month about the kidnapping and assault he claims he fell victim to in 2018. Cops arrested a suspect in the case, who pled not guilty, and also claims Tekashi made up the whole thing.

FYI, the guy calling BS -- Anthony Ellison -- was formerly part of Tekashi's management team and cops believe he's affiliated with the Nine Trey Bloods, the same gang Tekashi was with prior to his bust. Bottom line ... they know each other well.

That's what makes this situation messy for Tekashi -- he's currently preparing to point the finger at this guy, and the potential ramifications are very serious. Sources connected to the case tell TMZ, 6ix9ine's crapping his pants over testifying -- worried about how his mother and brother could be harmed, and also for his own safety behind bars. We're told he knows this could make him a marked man for life.

Case in point ... look what happened to notorious mobster Whitey Bulger last year in prison.

We already know 6ix9ine has shelled out thousands for security to protect his mom, but even with that ... we're told he feels there's nowhere for his loved ones to hide if the Nine Trey Bloods want to get even with him for snitching.

There's really no way out of this jam for Tekashi ... he's required to cooperate with the feds, so if they want him to testify, he's gotta sing. His last hope would be for Ellison and prosecutors to strike an 11th-hour deal.

Barring that ... we're told Tekashi will look kinda different on the stand -- same face tats, but hardly any rainbow hair these days. Not a ton of salon time in prison ...