Crime

Joe Exotic still has a path to freedom ... we've learned a potential pardon from President Trump is NOT off the table, despite the 'Tiger King' getting snubbed in the latest round of Trump clemency rulings.

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... a pardon for Joe remains a possibility -- however, his case was NOT reviewed during a recent round of presidential pardons.

It's unclear why Joe wasn't made a priority this time around, but we're told it's very possible Exotic's case will be reviewed in the very near future.

Gangster Disciples founder Larry Hoover found himself among the lucky inmates who got good news on Wednesday ... President Donald Trump commuted the prison sentence of the reformed Chicago gang leader on the same day he granted Julie and Todd Chrisley their freedom!!!

Hoover's name should ring bells in your memory ... Kanye West and Drake famously squashed their brewing beef back in 2021 in a livestreamed event at the L.A. Memorial Coliseum billed as a "Free Larry Hoover" fundraising benefit concert.

Ye sent all praises due to President Trump for the pardon after hearing the news and Hoover's family is also in the midst of a celebration.

Rick Ross also immortalized Hoover on his now classic 2011 track "B.M.F. (Blowin' Money Fast)" ... a track that also championed the life and crimes of another recently pardoned former drug dealer ... Demetrius "Big Meech" Flenory Sr.

Todd and Julie Chrisley have been pardoned after President Donald Trump signed off  Wednesday ... meaning they're officially free after more than two years in prison.

A White House official confirmed to TMZ ... the papers are all signed and the pardons are official -- so Todd and Julie will be walking out of federal prison very soon.

Their daughter Savannah shared the news to her Instagram too -- posting a pic of Trump beaming while presenting the pardons ... and claiming God hasn't turned his back on the Chrisley fam.

Todd and Julie Chrisley are trading orange jumpsuits and locked cells for street clothes and production crews -- 'cause reality TV cameras are ready to roll on their prison release ... TMZ has learned.

Production sources tell TMZ ... the Chrisley's new Lifetime reality show is already rolling, with cameras tracking Savannah and Chase’s every move. So with their parents now walking out of prison soon, you can bet that'll be a major part of the storyline.

We're told from sources connected to the family that the current production plan is to have cameras rolling in Florida for Todd and in Kentucky for Julie, ready to capture their release and bring back the classic Chrisley chaos.

Sharay Hayes, an exotic male dancer known as "The Punisher," is apologizing to Cassie Ventura for his role in some sexual encounters with Diddy.

"The Punisher" went on CNN and said he's sorry to Cassie for any suffering he may have caused her ... explaining that at the time, he had no idea or indication that she was having a bad experience.

Hayes testified in the Diddy criminal trial about his role in "freak-offs" with Diddy and Cassie -- and he told us he didn't see Diddy do anything that seemed illegal -- but after learning Cassie told jurors she was being blackmailed and threatened to participate in freak-offs, he's offered up his apology.

Todd and Julie Chrisley have not just regained their freedom, they may regain millions and millions of dollars they paid in restitution.

As you know, President Trump pardoned the Chrisleys Tuesday, citing what he believed was an unfair trial and sentence.

The Chrisleys were sentenced to more than 7 years in prison and ordered to repay more than $17 million in restitution. Their lawyer has said they have paid some of that restitution back, but not all of it.

The "Crypto King of Kentucky" suspected of torturing a man for weeks inside a swanky multimillion-dollar New York City townhouse spent big at a super exclusive erotic night club ... TMZ has learned.

Sources with direct knowledge tell us John Woeltz and his alleged accomplice William Duplessie started going to a club called The Box back in February, and there were nights where they would drop between $80,000 and $100,000 ... and we have photos and videos of them in the club.

The Box bills itself as a unique and exclusive club featuring nightly shows combining music, theater, burlesque and erotica ... and there's supposedly a sexy peep show.

The tenth day of witness testimony in the Diddy criminal trial was all about former Bad Boy employee Capricorn Clark ... and prosecutors tried to use her testimony to make the racketeering charge against Diddy stick.

Capricorn was the only witness Tuesday and she told the jury all about her time working under Diddy at Bad Boy ... and there were some noteworthy moments.

While Capricorn was testifying under oath, a pregnant Cassie was being rushed to a hospital ... our sources tell us she's in the labor and delivery unit, but it's not clear if she's given birth yet, as we're also told there may have been some complications.

Fivio Foreign's year has been a total wash, seeing he's been jailed since January on a weapons charge ... there could be a light at the end of the tunnel for the "City of Gods" rapper!!!

The New Jersey PIO tells TMZ Hip Hop that Fivio pled guilty to terroristic threats -- threat to commit a crime of violence in the 3rd degree.

Fivio had been facing 4 other charges, including unlawful possession of a weapon and aggravated assault, but Fivio's attorney Adam Lustberg tells us those counts are expected to be dismissed in exchange for his guilty plea.

Cassie is getting trashed by a witness in the Diddy criminal trial ... all while Cassie is in the hospital because of her pregnancy.

Capricorn Clark, a former Diddy employee, is being cross-examined by Diddy defense attorney Marc Agnifilo ... and she's telling the jury how their relationship changed over time.

Clark previously said she used to manage Cassie, and Agnifilo asked her why they sometimes did not get along. Clark said in 2008, Cassie went from being a sweet model to a feisty girlfriend, getting more "bravado" as her relationship with Diddy progressed.

Suge Knight says he talked to Capricorn Clark after Diddy allegedly threatened to kill her over her ties to Death Row Records ... and he tells us Capricorn absolutely thought Diddy would follow through.

The former Death Row Records owner joined us on "TMZ Live" Tuesday and we asked him about some of Clark's explosive testimony in the Diddy criminal trial.

Clark -- who worked for Diddy as an assistant and in other roles -- told the jury Diddy took her to Central Park on her first day of work and threatened to kill her because she used to work for his rival, Suge.

The "Crypto King of Kentucky" suspected of torturing a man for weeks inside a lavish multimillion-dollar townhouse hosted extravagant parties there ... and it seems he didn't raise any red flags when landing the swanky SoHo rental, TMZ has learned.

Here's the deal ... John Woeltz and William Duplessie are currently in custody for allegedly torturing Michael Valentino Teofrasto Carturan to get access to his crypto fortune ... until the Italian citizen finally made his escape and told police everything.

Multiple sources with knowledge tell TMZ … Woeltz started living in the Manhattan townhouse on March 17 … with a rent amount of $75K - $90K a month.

The moment a Bitcoin trader finally escaped his alleged crypto hellscape was caught on surveillance -- and the footage is just as dramatic as it sounds.

In video obtained by NBC New York, Michael Valentino Teofrasto Carturan can be seen in a casual top and shorts, sprinting barefoot up to an NYPD traffic cop Friday afternoon … clearly distressed, clearly desperate, and looking like he just lived through a straight-up nightmare.

Cops say Carturan was allegedly held captive for nearly 3 weeks inside a SoHo townhouse by two ex-business partners, John Woeltz and William Duplessie, who allegedly shocked him with wires, pistol-whipped him, dangled him over a ledge, and even allegedly urinated on him -- all while trying to force him to cough up the password to his crypto fortune.

William Duplessie just took his walk of shame -- getting perp-walked by NYPD outside a police station Tuesday in connection to one of the wildest crypto horror stories we’ve seen.

TMZ’s got the video ... the Swiss businessman looked dead serious and totally ignored the flood of media questions about his alleged role in the twisted SoHo torture plot as he was led to the car and got in.

Duplessie turned himself in to the NYPD Major Crimes Unit hours earlier -- becoming the second suspect in the alleged weeks-long abduction and torture of crypto investor Michael Valentino Teofrasto Carturan.

Capricorn Clark, a former Diddy employee, continued her testimony in the disgraced rap mogul's federal racketeering and sex trafficking trial Tuesday, revealing more details about Diddy's discovery of the relationship between Cassie and Kid Cudi ... including a menacing threat.

Clark said Cassie would sometimes stay with her at her apartment in L.A., and she said Cassie once brought Kid Cudi there. She described a text about Cudi she says she got from Cassie, and she told Cassie to delete the text because Diddy was paying for both their phones. She said she took Cassie to get a "burner" phone.

Clark testified early on the morning of December 22, 2011, Diddy was outside banging on her front door ... she says she opened the door to find him holding a gun, and asking her, "Why didn't you tell me? Who is Scott?" Kid Cudi's legal name is Scott Mescudi. She said she didn't know anyone named Scott.

Diddy’s legal team is gunning to blow up a major moment from Kid Cudi’s testimony -- asking the judge to strike everything about the disgraced rapper’s Porsche firebombing … claiming it’s all based on suspicion, not proof.

TMZ has obtained the legal docs filed in Diddy’s criminal case -- where his lawyers argue Cudi’s claims about Diddy’s alleged involvement in his 2012 car explosion are nothing but opinion and shouldn’t be allowed in court. In short ... they’re saying Cudi thinks Diddy did it, but there’s no hard evidence, no confession, no receipts.

As we reported, KC told the court last week he 'knew' Diddy had something to do with the Molotov cocktail attack on his Porsche after ending things with Cassie -- but admitted there were no witnesses, fingerprints, or proof linking Diddy to the arson.