Crime

Harvey Weinstein is guilty of 2 of the 5 charges he faced in his NYC criminal trial -- but he was found not guilty on the charges that could have put him in prison for life.

The jury found Weinstein guilty of 1st-degree criminal sexual act and 3rd-degree rape. He could get up to 25 years in prison just for the criminal sexual act. However, the jury found him not guilty on 2 counts of predatory sexual assault charges. Those carried a possible life sentence. He was also acquitted of 1st-degree rape.

A jury of 12 people -- 7 men and 5 women -- finally reached their verdict after 5 days and about 22 hours of deliberations. This comes after an interesting turn on Friday ... when the jurors sent a note to the judge asking if they could be hung on 2 counts of predatory sexual assault and unanimous on the others.

The judge told them to go back deliberations, and they worked it out by Monday morning.

As we reported ... Weinstein pled not guilty to 5 felony charges relating to sexual misconduct. The charges were based on the accounts of 2 women ... Miriam Haley, a TV and film production assistant who worked on "Project Runway," and former actress Jessica Mann.

The prosecution rested its case 2 weeks ago after 12 days of witness testimony. In total, 6 women testified against Weinstein, including Haley and Mann. Last Tuesday marked the start of jury deliberations.

As we reported ... Mann testified under oath that Weinstein began manipulating her as soon as he met her, allegedly forcing himself on her multiple times and raping her at a hotel in Manhattan.

Weinstein's defense argued he had a consensual relationship with Mann lasting for years after the alleged sexual assault. He maintained all sexual conduct was consensual.

During closing arguments, Weinstein's lawyer, Donna Rotunno, ripped into the prosecution, saying prosecutors, "created a universe that strips adult women of common sense, autonomy and responsibility," arguing Weinstein's accusers acquiesced to sex because they thought it would advance their careers.

However, Prosecutor Joan Illuzzi-Orbon countered in her closing argument, saying Weinstein's accusers “were merely ants that he could step on without consequences.”

The disgraced Hollywood mogul felt he couldn't get a fair trial in New York, claiming the jury pool was tainted ... but the case proceeded.

Jussie Smollett is back in a Chicago courtroom, and you've gotta see the ruckus his arrival created outside ... as his supporters made sure they were heard.

Jussie was flanked Monday morning by an entourage of about 10 people -- some of them family members -- as he made his way into his arraignment on 6 new felony counts of lying to cops. At least one photog went down in a heap at Jussie's feet while he tried to get into the courthouse.

In the video, you can hear Jussie's backers chanting, "What do we want? Justice! When do we want it? Now!!!"

We're expecting the ex-"Empire" star to enter not guilty pleas to all 6 charges in the new indictment, which calls the 6 charges "disorderly conduct," but all involve allegations of lying to cops.

Interestingly, Abel and Ola Osundairo also showed up at court this morning. There's no reason for them to be at his arraignment -- we know they'll be testifying against Jussie, but that's weeks down the road.

As we reported ... the special prosecutor, Dan Webb, said Jussie "planned and participated in a staged hate crime attack, and thereafter made numerous false statements to Chicago Police Dept. officers."

You'll recall, Jussie claimed he was attacked in Chicago by 2 white men ... alleging the men put a rope around his neck and doused him with bleach. He claimed they also yelled racial and homophobic slurs. As the investigation unfolded, 2 black men -- brothers Abel and Ola Osundario -- were detained and they told police Jussie paid them to stage the attack.

The special prosecutor effectively re-opened the controversial case nearly a year after Cook County prosecutors dropped all 16 felony counts against Smollett in March 2019. At the time, they called it a "just disposition and appropriate resolution," but not an exoneration.

Jussie's attorney, Tina Glandian, questioned the timing of the indictment. State Attorney Kim Foxx also questioned the timing. Jussie maintains he's innocent. If convicted, he faces up to 3 years in state prison.

'Real Housewives of New York' star Jules Wainstein is in hot water down in Florida ... and we ain't talking hot tub.

According to docs, obtained by TMZ, Jules was busted Sunday in Boca Raton for domestic battery. It's unclear at the moment who the alleged victim is. Jules spent the night in jail and was released Monday under her own recognizance.

She's scheduled to return to court Tuesday. In docs, Jules was found indigent ... which means she can't afford a lawyer. A public defender will be assigned to her case.

Jules is no stranger to domestic disturbances. As we reported back in 2016, Jules called 911 after getting into an angry argument with her estranged hubby, Michael. Their divorce case was pretty nasty.

John 'Sonny' Franzese, Sr., an Italian-American mobster who served as a Colombo crime family underboss and even had his finger in the movie biz ... is dead.

Franzese was an organized crime wheeler and dealer for decades, but he also dabbled in film. Franzese helped finance the '72 iconic porn flick, "Deep Throat." BTW ... it cost $22k to produce and grossed as much as $50 million. He also helped finance "The Texas Chain Saw Massacre."

Sonny served as an underboss of the Colombo family from 1964 to 1967, when he was sentenced to 50 years for bank robbery. He was paroled in '78 but prison became a revolving door. He went back and forth 6 times for crimes that included extortion.

He may have done worse ... in 2006, he talked about techniques for mob murders with a man who turned out to be a secret government informant who was wired. One of the things he said ... he put nail polish on his fingertips before murdering someone to avoid leaving fingerprints at the scene of the crime ... of course, to blunt DNA testing.

Interesting fact ... His son, John Franzese, Jr., testified against him in one of the trials. It marked the first time the son of a New York mobster turned state's evidence on his dad.

Sonny died in a nursing home in upstate New York. One of his daughters was by his side when he passed. We're told he died of natural causes.

Sonny was dubbed "The nodfather" for falling asleep during one of his trials.

When he was released for the last time in June 2017, he was the oldest federal inmate in the U.S. at age 100.

Franzese was born in Naples, Italy in 1917. He and his family moved to NYC when he was a child. He had 8 kids and 18 grandchildren.

The two Ohio State football players who were kicked off the team last week after they were accused of rape and kidnapping are now facing up to 33 YEARS behind bars ... TMZ Sports has learned.

As we previously reported ... a woman claims she was forcibly raped on Feb. 4 in the Columbus, Ohio area by two Buckeye players, senior corner Amir Riep and senior safety Jahsen Wint.

According to court docs ... the woman claims she went over to Riep and Wint's apartment to watch a movie, but was later restrained by both men and forced to have vaginal and oral sex.

Now, we've learned the two football players -- who were booted from the OSU team just hours after they were arrested -- are facing DECADES in prison over the allegations.

According to the indictment Friday, the two men were hit with 3 felony charges apiece -- two counts of rape and one count of kidnapping.

"If convicted on these charges, both men face a maximum consecutive term of 33 years of incarceration as well as registration of sex offenders," Franklin County District Attorney Ron O'Brien said.

The two men are due back in court for a hearing on the case next month.

Pop Smoke's death wasn't a robbery gone wrong ... it was a targeted hit ... and that conclusion is supported by surveillance video.

People who have seen the surveillance footage from outside the Hollywood Hills home where Pop was killed Wednesday morning tell us ... you see 4 men approach the home at around 4:30 AM and sneak around back.

A couple minutes pass before 3 of the 4 walk back up the side of the home to the front. The 4th apparently walked in the backdoor but no camera was trained on it. The next time you see the man, he exits through the front door of the house.

As we reported, multiple shots were fired inside the home and they only struck Pop Smoke, who was rushed to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center where he was pronounced dead.

At first, it seemed like it might have been a robbery because the rapper posted a photo earlier in the day of a bunch of gifts ... one of which had his home address emblazoned on it. He also posted another pic hours before the shooting of himself and a friend in a car ... the friend is holding an enormous amount of cash.

But, here's the thing. The folks who have seen the surveillance video tell us the person inside the house -- presumably the shooter -- did not carry anything out. Given that he shot someone, it's doubtful he would take the time to stuff items in his pocket.

Pop Smoke was only 20 and already making a name for himself in music. His song, "Welcome to the Party" was remixed by Nicki Minaj and he appeared on Travis Scott's latest project "JACKBOYS." His mix tape charted #7 Tuesday on the Billboard 200.

Gareth Pursehouse -- the man accused of murdering Drew Carey's ex fiancee, Dr. Amie Harwick -- has been arrested again and charged with her murder.

Pursehouse was re-arrested Wednesday on a no bail warrant and was charged with one count each of murder and first-degree residential burglary with the special circumstance allegation of lying in wait ... according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney.

Gareth is facing the death penalty or life in prison without the possibility of parole, if convicted. The D.A. says no decision has been made on whether to seek capital punishment.

We broke the story ... Amie was murdered this weekend after cops say Pursehouse attacked her, causing her to fall from a third-story balcony in the Hollywood Hills.

Amie and Gareth dated years ago and as we reported ... Harwick filed for 2 restraining orders against him in 2011 and 2012, claiming he attacked her multiple times and even threw her out of a vehicle on the side of the freeway.

Pursehouse was initially arrested for murder Saturday afternoon, but he bonded out of jail Tuesday night after being held on a $2 million bail.

Now, Pursehouse is back in custody and the D.A. says on Thursday he will be arraigned.

Ex-'Bachelor' contestant Jubilee Sharpe smashed up her car before cops took her in for DUI -- and refusing a breathalyzer couldn't save her from arrest.

TMZ has obtained the arrest report in connection to Jubilee's case out of Florida. Per the docs, the arresting officer conducted several field sobriety tests ... and she bombed just about all of 'em. We should note ... the guy says she wouldn't submit to blowing for a BAC.

It's pretty crazy though ... the cop was dispatched to the scene of a car crash -- just one vehicle involved, luckily -- and when he got there ... he says Jubilee was still inside.

The officer says Jubilee had bloodshot eyes, slurred speech and reeked of booze. He also claims she admitted to having a couple beers earlier in the night. The officer also alleges she told him she couldn't quite recall how the accident even came about.

Naturally, field sobriety tests came next, which the officer hilariously explains in excruciating detail. On the follow-my-finger test, for example, he writes in his report ...

• Lack of smooth pursuit, left eye
• Lack of smooth pursuit, right eye
• A distinct and sustained nystagmus at a maximum deviation in the left eye
• An onset of nystagmus prior to 45 degrees in the right eye

Rapper Obie Trice is going 1 for 2 in his Michigan gun case -- avoiding a more serious charge for shooting a guy, but the D.A.'s Office isn't letting him off the hook completely.

The former Shady Records MC will NOT be charged with felony aggravated assault after a gun went off and struck his girlfriend's 18-year-old son during a brouhaha they all got into back in December.

Oakland County Chief Assistant D.A. Paul T. Walton tells TMZ there wasn't enough evidence to bring that specific charge against Obie -- who insists the gun went off by accident, and he only had it out while acting in self-defense.

He is, however, going to be charged with misdemeanor possession of an unregistered firearm -- which could land him in jail for 90 days, if convicted.

TMZ broke the story ... Obie -- forever remembered for his opening line to Eminem's "Without Me" -- was arrested after getting into a physical altercation with his girlfriend, which allegedly turned into a tussle with her son.

At some point, cops say Obie went to his car to retrieve a pistol, and while the kid tried to get it away from him -- a bullet was fired and went through the kid's groin. Sounds like he's gonna be okay ... he drove himself to the hospital that night.

Josh Turner -- famous for his work on "The Walking Dead" -- is behind bars in Tennessee after getting busted on an out of state warrant.

The actor was busted Wednesday night in Newport, Tenn. on an outstanding warrant from Oregon for an alleged assault ... this according to the Cocke County Sheriff's Office.

Turner is still jailed in Tennessee as he reportedly awaits extradition back to Oregon.

Josh has appeared in 17 episodes of "The Walking Dead," and he also had a small role in the HBO series "Watchmen," plus an uncredited part in "Twilight."

Before getting into acting, Josh was an aspiring professional wrestler, who wrestled under the name Josh "TKO" Turner. He got his start at the former WWE training camp, Ohio Valley Wrestling, and made several appearances at key wrestling promotions across the nation.

Story developing ...

Donald Trump Jr. is back to taking shots at Jussie Smollett ... questioning the alleged racist attack, and wondering why Jussie didn't come up with a more believable scenario.

We got the President's son Thursday in New York City and asked what he thought the proper punishment should be for Jussie if he's convicted of the new charges following a grand jury indictment.

Don Jr. says the entire case is terrible for the country and wonders what would happen to Jussie's attackers if his version of events turned out to be true. He seems to think they would have it worse than Smollett.

Don also pokes holes in Jussie's claim his 2 attackers pounced when he went out alone for Subway at 2 AM in sub-zero temperatures. As he put it, Smollett is a "decent actor" but a terrible writer. Translation: He believes Jussie scripted the whole thing.

Jr. sounds a lot like his father ... remember, Donald Trump ripped Jussie during a rally last April ... calling the case a "disgrace," and Jussie a "third rate actor."

James Brown might have been murdered ... so claims a woman who knew Brown, and just handed prosecutors stacks of what she believes is possible evidence of foul play.

A Fulton County D.A. spokesperson confirms Jacque Hollander met with Fulton County District Attorney Paul Howard on Wednesday and gave him a bin full of items. Howard now says he's directing his investigators to interview Hollander ... and if evidence she presented to the D.A.'s Office holds up, Howard says he's open to launching a full-scale death investigation.

We're told Hollander -- who unsuccessfully first tried to meet with the D.A. in 2019 -- reportedly gave a list of possible witnesses and handed over a stack of printed text messages. She also reportedly explained how she came into possession of the bin.

James, of course, died on Christmas Day 2006 at an Atlanta hospital. His death certificate cites a heart attack and fluid in his lungs as the cause of death.

Toronto Blue Jays catcher Reese McGuire -- a former MLB first-round pick -- was arrested last week after cops say he was caught exposing his penis in a Florida parking lot.

The Pinellas County Sheriff's Office tells TMZ Sports ... deputies were called to a public parking lot in Dunedin, Fla. on Friday after a man was seen inside of an SUV exposing himself.

FYI, Dunedin is the spring training home of the Toronto Blue Jays -- and pitchers and catchers were expected to report to camp today.

Cops say when they arrived ... they identified McGuire as the suspect, and say he was "cooperative and did not deny the allegations."

Police say they arrested the 24-year-old ... and booked him for misdemeanor "exposure of sexual organs."

Cops say McGuire is due in Florida court in mid-March -- a spring training off day for the Blue Jays -- to face charges.

For their part, Toronto says it's aware of the allegations against its catcher ... writing in a statement, "[McGuire] has been in communication with the club and we are working to gather more information."

"Out of respect for the legal process, neither he nor the club will comment any further at this time."

McGuire has played 44 games for the Blue Jays since 2018 ... batting .297 with seven home runs.

He was selected with the 14th overall pick by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 2013 MLB Draft ... and was later traded to the Jays in a deal that included Francisco Liriano in August 2016.

Megan Thee Stallion's setting the record straight about a prior arrest, and if you think she can rap ... wait till you see her tell a story!!! Despite the circumstances, it's kinda hilarious.

The "Hot Girl Summer" MC came clean Tuesday about getting busted in 2015 after she, admittedly, put hands on her 6-foot-10 BF at the time. Meg opted to share the full story with her fans after her mug shot from the Texas arrest was posted on a blog.

Right off the bat, she called it a "toxic relationship," and said things boiled over at a SXSW concert when she found out the BF cheated and had a kid with another woman.

She says that triggered a violent argument, with the guy allegedly roughing her up and stomping on her phone. That prompted her to take matters into her own hands -- Megan says she was punching him when cops showed up.

You gotta watch her description of what happened at that point. Getting arrested is rarely funny, however, all these years later ... Megan's found some humor in how it all went down.

The whole case was dismissed in April 2016, after the BF didn't show for court and didn't want to press charges.

Masai Ujiri ain't in the clear yet from his altercation with a police officer at a 2019 NBA Finals game ... the Toronto Raptors president is now being sued over the incident.

The alleged victim, identified as Oakland police officer Alan Strickland, just filed docs in federal court claiming Ujiri owes him cold-hard cash after he says Ujiri attacked him.

The Sheriff's deputy claims Ujiri shoved him and hit him in the face and chest in the moments after the Raptors won the NBA championship vs. Golden State on June 13, 2019.

The officer at the time claimed he suffered a concussion and a jaw injury in the altercation.

But, Ujiri was able to avoid a criminal case, with the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office announcing in October it would NOT be pursuing charges against the 49-year-old.

"Mr. Ujiri attended a meeting with the District Attorney's Office focused on matters that we believe merited constructive, structured mediation and conflict resolution and were better handled in a setting outside the courtroom," a spokesperson said.

But, clearly, the officer wasn't willing to let Ujiri off that easily ... in the new lawsuit, Strickland says he's seeking damages in excess of $75,000.

Strickland is also going after the Raptors AND the NBA in the suit.

We've reached out to the NBA and Toronto Raptors for comment. A rep for the Raptors ownership group told us they were aware of the lawsuit, but had no comment.

So far, no word back from the league.

Rapper Yella Beezy is being accused of opening a can of whoop-ass on a guy tied to another rapper with whom Beezy's got serious beef.

Brandon Rainwater is suing Yella claiming he and his crew beat him to a pulp outside the hotspot strip club, V Live in Dallas ... this according to docs obtained by TMZ. We're told the alleged beatdown left Rainwater with a dislocated hip.

Surveillance video taken across the street from the club appears to show the fight in progress.

In docs, Rainwater claims he showed up to the club last month but when he tried getting inside he was told by security to wait. Rainwater manages Dallas-based rapper Mo3 ... who has a history of beefing with Yella. Anyway, Rainwater claims a security guard approached him with a gun in his left hand and Yella standing behind him.

Fearing trouble was about to go down, Rainwater claims he ran out of there but Yella and his crew chased him down and beat him up. Rainwater claims after the dust settled, Yella and his crew headed back to the club's parking lot and bragged about the alleged assault.

Rainwater says he was taken to the hospital that night and is undergoing physical therapy following the assault. He's also suing V Live for inadequate security. He's suing for assault and claims he's owed up to $1 million in damages.