Crime

Kodak Black was set up and possibly drugged when he got into a fight behind bars ... at least according to the rapper's camp.

Sources close to Kodak tell TMZ ... his team believes last month's prison fight, which left a guard injured, was all a setup because they claim someone slipped something in his drink to set him off.

We're told surveillance video shows Kodak drinking a cup of coffee about 20 minutes before the fight broke out ... and his reps believe Kodak's coffee was spiked with a chemical substance intended to make him lose control.

Our sources say an agent from the FBI testified Wednesday that witnesses said Kodak appeared to be under the influence during the brawl.

As for the fight itself ... we're told Kodak got into it with another inmate, and a corrections officer sprayed KB with mace. Our sources say it took several prison guards to restrain Kodak, who displayed incredible strength after allegedly being drugged.

Bureau of Prisons spokesperson Emery Nelson tells us a staff member was physically assaulted during the fight and was taken to a hospital for treatment.

As we reported ... Kodak was sentenced Wednesday to 46 months in prison after pleading guilty in his federal gun case. Prosecutors were gunning for 96 months after KB was involved in the fight.

Kodak's camp thinks it's suspicious the other inmate in the fight was placed in KB's prison pod earlier in the day, and the same inmate was released on bond about 12 hours after the brawl. Kodak's team says the fact the fight went down 2 weeks before his sentencing is also fishy. KB's been behind bars before, and we're told it's the first time he got in trouble.

Black's reps tell us they don't know for sure who allegedly drugged him, but they have their suspicions ... telling us a lot of people want to see him jammed up.

We reached out to the U.S. Attorney's Office ... but they have no comment.

The famous Joe Montana "Catch" statue was VANDALIZED after the 49ers lost to the Seahawks on Monday night ... and now cops say they've arrested the dude who committed the worst facemask penalty ever!

Levi's Stadium security detained 37-year-old Jorge Alberto Lopez after he allegedly climbed the 350-pound statue and ripped off the facemask after the Seahawks kicked the game-winning field goal in OT.

Santa Clara PD formally arrested the guy who was booked on a FELONY vandalism charge, according to police record. TMZ Sports has obtained Lopez's mug shot.

The Montana statue is part of the 2-piece tribute to the famous "Catch" by Dwight Clark in the 1982 NFC title game that was erected in 2018. The statues are massive and weigh 350 pounds each ... and are 23 yards apart (honoring the distance of Montana's pass).

The team has already worked to repair the facemask and expect Montana's equipment to be fixed in time for the next home game this weekend.

NFL lineman Malik McDowell was just sentenced to JAIL for fighting a cop in Feb. -- but he's also been ordered to write multiple lengthy essays about the law ... for real.

For example, McDowell must submit a 1,000-word paper to the court on "Finding Meaning In Life Other Than Committing Crimes."

Also, another 750-word essay on "Principles of Declaration of Independence and How Your Behavior Undermines Them."

His other two assignments -- two more 750-word papers on "Importance of Respecting the Rule of Law" and "Importance of Respecting Property Rights."

AND, ALL ASSIGNMENTS MUST BE SUBMITTED IN 90 DAYS!

It stems from the Feb. 18 incident in Lathrup Village, Michigan when McDowell -- a 2017 2nd round pick of the Seattle Seahawks -- was pulled over for a routine traffic violation and ended up brawling with the officer in a gas station.

Video of the incident, obtained by TMZ Sports, showed cops ultimately using a taser to subdue the 6'6", 300-pound defensive lineman. He was charged with multiple felonies including assault and resisting arrest.

Just a few months later in April, McDowell was arrested again ... this time after he was accused of stealing a $75,000 2019 Ford F-150 Raptor. He was hit with a felony charge of receiving and concealing stolen property for that incident as well.

McDowell eventually pled guilty to all the charges after cutting a deal with prosecutors last month ... and at a hearing Wednesday, a judge sentenced him to jail.

Per a court official, McDowell was ordered to spend 153 days behind bars (with credit for 66 days already served) for the cop fighting case ... and an additional 244 days for the truck theft case.

Plus, the judge -- famous for handing out unusual sentences -- ordered McDowell to complete at least 4 essays. McDowell played his college ball at Michigan State -- hopefully he attended a few English classes!

There's more ... McDowell was also ordered to pay fines and fees as well as complete some testing and a substance abuse treatment program.

Of course, it's a solid deal for McDowell, who was facing MULTIPLE years behind bars for the crimes.

Cuba Gooding Jr. is outraged he was indicted by a grand jury that NEVER saw multiple videos of the alleged incidents of sexual misconduct.

Cuba's attorney Mark Jay Heller filed a motion to dismiss the 6-count indictment against him in NYC. According to the docs, Gooding calls it "grossly inappropriate and unjust" that the District Attorney didn't show the videos during the grand jury proceedings.

Gooding and his lawyers say the D.A. "chose here to trick the system by not giving the Grand Jury a fair opportunity to evaluate all of the facts and evidence."

TMZ broke the story ... there are videos of Cuba's June 2019 incident at Magic Hour Rooftop Bar, where he allegedly touched a woman's breast. There's also security footage at TAO Nightclub in NYC from last October 2018 when he was accused of touching a server's butt.

Gooding's indictment is for 3 separate incidents -- the third was at LAVO in NYC -- and his legal team has beef with that too. In the docs, they say the alleged incidents should be judged individually -- and lumping them together increased the risk of bias among the grand jury. BTW, according to Gooding's team ... there's also video of the LAVO incident

The actor wants the whole indictment tossed out of court. The judge has yet to rule.

Tyler Christopher -- best known for his appearances on "General Hospital" over the course of 20 years -- may have had too much fun celebrating turning 47 ... because he ended up in jail.

The soap star was arrested in Martinsville, Indiana Monday night -- on his 47th birthday -- and booked for public intoxication. According to Morgan County Jail records ... he's being held on $225 cash and $1,000 bond.

As far as we can tell ... Tyler hasn't been released yet.

Based on his mug shot, Christopher's changed his look quite a bit since he left his role on another popular soap opera, "Days of Our Lives," earlier this year ... and not for the better.

Tyler played Stefan DiMera on 'Days' from December 2017 until leaving the series this past March. Before that, he played Nikolas Cassadine on 'GH' off and on from 1996 to 2016.

All that pales in comparison to the best fun fact about Tyler though -- he was married to Eva Longoria from 2002 to 2004.

Happy birthday, bud?

Gloria Steinem believes T.I. is violating the law by going to his daughter's gynecology exams to make sure she's a virgin, and she says the courts should get involved. Seriously.

We talked to the pioneering journalist and feminist Tuesday at LAX, where she weighed in on Tip's controversial confession about his now 18-year-old daughter, Deyjah. Like many have said, she thinks his behavior reeks of a classic sexist with control issues

But, Gloria went further ... calling the practice a human rights violation.

As for Deyjah signing off on doctors sharing her medical info with her dad -- GS thinks there's an off-balance power relationship there too.

As we reported, T.I. went on the "Ladies Like Us" podcast and told the hosts he attends Deyjah's annual gynecology visits and asks the doctor for "his results." He said he wants the doctor to ensure her hymen is intact ... which he believes proves she's still a virgin.

When our photog broke the news to Gloria that T.I.'s cool with his younger teenage son having sex, well ... let's just say that was her breaking point.

The guy who allegedly stabbed someone to death at a Popeyes on the East Coast has been ID'd by cops -- and now they're looking to bring him in on murder charges.

The Prince George's County Police Department in Maryland say they believe 30-year-old Ricoh McClain is the one responsible for the fatal stabbing that took place last week that left 28-year-old Kevin Tyrell Davis dead after an in-line dispute escalated.

Cops say they were called in to respond to a fight, and when they arrived ... they discovered Davis in the restaurant's parking lot with a single stab wound that ultimately killed him.

As for what exactly led up to the stabbing, cops say they believe Davis had cut in line ... which turned into a verbal dispute, and then into a physical altercation outside. Police say McClain fled from the area and has not been captured yet. A warrant for his arrest has been issued, and authorities there are asking anyone who knows his whereabouts to speak up.

Police have released a mug shot of McClain from a previous arrest, and they've also put out an image of him in the Popeyes that was captured on surveillance video.

Three homes the Mexican government confiscated from Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman -- including one he used as a hideout -- have sold at auction, but unlike his cartel ... the casas did not make big money.

According to reports ... Mexico raked in nearly $228,000 by selling 3 of the 6 homes it confiscated from Chapo, but failed to unload his most expensive residence. As a result, home sales fell well short of the $1 million expectations.

One of the sold homes is kinda famous in El Chapo lore because it was known for being a hideout spot for El Chapo after his first prison escape in 2001. Even so, it sold for a meager $107,530,

He was at the house when the Mexican military showed up to arrest him in February 2014, but he was able to escape via a tunnel ... hidden under the bathtub.

The escape allowed him to evade capture ... but only for another week. Of course, he escaped from prison again more than a year later ... only to be caught again in early 2016.

The 2 other homes sold at auction went for $64,589 and $55,725, the latter of which was also a place of refuge while El Chapo was on the lam.

BTW -- the expensive home that didn't fetch a buyer is valued at $587k ... it's a lavish 3-story residence El Chapo reportedly bought for the mother of his son, Ovidio Guzmán López.

Terrible news in the case of Aniah Blanchard -- stepdaughter of UFC fighter Walt Harris.

Officials say they found blood in Blanchard's recovered vehicle that's "indicative of someone suffering a life-threatening injury," according to a probable cause affidavit obtained by the Montgomery Advertiser.

Officials also say they found a witness who observed kidnapping suspect Ibraheem Yazeed forcing the 19-year-old woman "into [her] vehicle against her will and then leaving with her in the vehicle."

According to the document, the blood in the vehicle was tested and came back as a match for Blanchard.

As we previously reported, law enforcement tracked down Yazeed in Florida on Friday after a nationwide manhunt.

Officials say they chased Yazeed on foot before apprehending him -- and he suffered an eye injury that required medical attention.

So far, Blanchard has not been located. Unclear if Yazeed is cooperating with officials.

Auburn Police Chief Paul Register said Thursday there may be other suspects in the case.

Ted Bundy's murder kit is coming back to haunt Zak Bagans -- because Utah government officials are now dying to know if the kit actually belongs to them.

A rep for the Utah State Archives tells TMZ ... the spooky murder kit Zak recently bought could possibly be state property and IF that's the case, it was never Zak's to purchase.

What's more ... the Archives dept. has contacted the Utah State Attorney General's Office to discuss any legal options it could take to formally repossess the murder kit, and all documents and records related to the case.

TMZ broke the story ... the "Ghost Adventures" star bought a treasure trove of dangerous items seized from Bundy's infamous Volkswagen Beetle. The kit had been in former Salt Lake Co. Sheriff's detective Jerry Thompson's possession until his wife sold them to Zak.

The kit included 2 mismatched gloves, a flashlight, orange wire, Glad trash bags, a brown gym bag, white clothesline rope and strips of bed sheets used for tying up his victims.

Sources close to Zak tell TMZ ... the ghost aficionado feels he bought the collection free and clear. Plus, he feels the person he bought it from was the legal owner of the kit.

The Archives rep makes it clear ... "If these are government records, we certainly would love to have them in the custody and care of Utah State Archives."

A$AP Rocky is heading back to the danger zone -- aka, Sweden, where he was jailed and convicted of assault over the summer.

The rapper's set to return to Stockholm, Sweden on December 11 for a show at the Ericsson Globe that will include other Swedish artists, yet to be announced.

In a statement released Friday, LiveNation says about Rocky ... "After tremendous support from the Swedish fans, he returns to Stockholm for a long-awaited gig for all his supporters."

Tickets apparently go on sale on November 12.

As you'll recall ... A$AP was found guilty of assault by a panel of Swedish judges in August, but he did not have to go to prison.

The judges determined the case -- which hinged on whether A$AP threw a bottle at the victim during the all-out brawl in late June -- did not warrant self-defense ... despite video showing the victim was antagonizing his crew.

Despite the guilty verdict, the judges felt Rocky and his codefendants got ample punishment with the month they served in a Swedish jail as they awaited trial. So instead, Rocky got a suspended sentence ... meaning he just had to pay various fines and fees.

The Swedish prosecutor who worked on the case tells us ... A$AP has NO restrictions on him related to the assault conviction. We're told ... "He can return to Sweden for his gig and won't be arrested unless he commits another crime."

Playboy Playmate Lauryn Elaine came home to a frightening situation that only got worse ... and cops are now on the hunt for 3 masked men they say robbed her.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... Lauryn noticed her front door was busted in when she got home at 11:45 PM Wednesday in North Hollywood and, when she entered, 2 men came out of her bedroom and one out of her brother's.

We're told the men had masks on their faces, and one pointed a gun at her at demanded she open her safe. Our sources say the men tied her up with a dog leash, and took more than $30k in cash and her purse.

After they fled, Lauryn managed to free herself and ran outside to get help.

We've obtained video of the aftermath ... and Lauryn's pad is absolutely trashed. It looks like the suspects ransacked every room, overturned furniture, smashed a mirror on a closet door and busted up the floor.

Lauryn points out where they put her on the ground with her hands and feet bound.

Our sources say cops are looking for any video in the area to help them identify the masked intruders.

The NFL is finally hearing Antonio Brown's side of the story in his rape case ... the superstar receiver is set to meet with league investigators next week.

AB is accused of raping his former trainer, Britney Taylor, at his Florida home back in 2018 ... and after she filed a lawsuit against the 31-year-old over the incident, the NFL launched a probe into the matter.

It's been about two months since they kicked off the investigation ... and many around the league feel it's the reason AB has yet to sign with a new team since being cut by the Patriots in September.

But, Brown is finally ready to have the meeting with league officials ... and according to multiple reports, it could take place as soon as next Thursday.

Don't expect it to spell the end of Brown's time as a free agent, though ... NFL Network's, Ian Rapoport, says next week's meeting will likely be the first of several in the case.

"The league's investigation into civil allegations of sexual assault & rape is not expected to conclude any time soon," Rapoport said.

Brown has vehemently denied Taylor's allegations, saying through his attorney in September, "Any sexual interaction" between Taylor and Brown "was entirely consensual."

Antonio's been working out like a maniac despite the investigation ... but admitted on Twitter a few weeks ago that it's looking like he won't return to an NFL field until 2020.

Green Bay Packers superstar Za'Darius Smith admitted to cops he had smoked weed shortly before he was pulled over for speeding ... telling an officer, "We had smoked earlier."

It's all in police video obtained by TMZ Sports ... which shows Smith and Packers rookies Rashan Gary and Kingsley Keke getting stopped on Sept. 29 in Racine, Wisc.

Smith was busted for doing 81 mph in a 60 -- but when a cop asked him how much weed he had in his vehicle ... the superstar pass rusher straight-up admitted to smoking earlier in the day.

That's when the officer put Smith and his teammates in cuffs and searched the 2019 Yukon ... and found what appeared to be blunts and a vaping cartridge in the guys' pricey bags.

When the cops came back to ask who owned the blunts ... Smith seemed surprised to learn they were in there -- but took the fall for them anyway.

"I'll put it on me, yessir," Smith said.

As for the cartridge, Smith also took the fall for that, saying again, "I'll put that on me."

The cop cited Smith for speeding and possession of marijuana. Gary and Keke were NOT cited in the incident.

Unclear if the NFL will hand down punishment to Smith for admitting to smoking ... but it'd be a big deal if they did. Za'Darius has been a star for the Packers after signing a 4-year, $66 MILLION deal this offseason.

As for his citations ... Smith's facing nothing more than fines for those, but his attorney entered a not guilty plea on his behalf to both of the infractions earlier this week.

John Stamos, or someone on his social media team, might have some 'splaining to do with his pal, Lori Loughlin ... after what seems like a Trump-esque Twitter flub.

John's verified account liked a tweet praising his performance Tuesday night on "The Little Mermaid Live!" ... but it came with a catch -- namely, a jab at his former "Full House" costar.

The tweet Uncle Jesse liked said, "Aunt Becky's going to jail but @JohnStamos is BACK and crushing it on #LittleMermaidLive."

Maybe the review of John's performance was just too flattering to NOT give it a like -- but obviously Lori wouldn't feel so good about the message. It's kinda shocking because John's been mostly mum about Lori's role in the college admissions scandal.

As we've reported ... Lori and her husband are facing new charges of bribery after allegedly paying $500,000 to mastermind Rick Singer to get their daughters into USC via the rowing team and some fake pictures. They've pled not guilty to all counts.

Fact is, John is getting plenty of praise for playing Chef Louis on 'Mermaid' ... so it's not like the Twitter user was alone with his or her review. However, we're guessing John would like to take back at least half of his "like" on that tweet.

Too bad that's not an option on Twitter. Not yet.

We reached out to John's team for clarification ... no word back, so far.

Chris Brown is having a massive yard sale in front of his house, to which he's invited the public, much to the chagrin of the LAPD ... and we've learned cops tried shutting it down using a law that doesn't exist.

The singer posted up his personal address in Tarzana, CA on Tuesday, announcing that he'd be selling off marked-down designer items -- some of which, presumably, belong to him personally. Well, cops caught wind of this and paid Chris a visit in an attempt to torpedo the event -- but they weren't successful in doing so ... 'cause Chris is still operating legally.

Sources close to Chris tell TMZ that an LAPD officer went to his home Tuesday telling his people they couldn't have a garage sale because they don't have a permit. Chris' lawyer got involved ... they called BS, and rightly so. Permits are not required in the City of L.A. where Chris lives.

Sources connected to Chris say they kept getting harassed. They say cops then tried to shut down the garage sale because of fear the crowds would be too large. But, so far there are only a few dozen people.

Thing is ... sources on the ground are telling us that things were chill Tuesday night, are still cool hours ahead of Chris opening the doors at 10 AM PT Wednesday. We're told that his team has announced they're letting folks in 10 at a time -- and there's already about 3 dozen heads lining the block, with about 6 or so police cruisers driving around patrolling.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... they were concerned about "the impact [of the garage sale] on the community" and "the safety of the people who are there."