Crime

Tony McCollister -- the former A&E personality arrested on charges of pandering obscenity involving a minor and sexual conduct with an animal in Ohio -- had his pets confiscated from him, TMZ has learned.

Warren County Sheriff Barry Riley tells TMZ ... the animals were seized from McCollister during the investigation and "are being well cared for." He did not reveal what type of animals McCollister had sexual contact with; however ... WLWT5 reports it was 2 dogs.

As we reported, McCollister was arrested on Tuesday ... but satisfied his $250,000 bail after his court hearing this week. He was ordered to have no contact with any children or pets and is due back in court next Tuesday.

Here's an easy way to find yourself on the naughty list ... a man in Seattle is in police custody after stealing a patrol car from a Washington State Patrol lieutenant ... and only TMZ has video of the suspect shoving the cop to the ground and taking off in her car.

We obtained footage showing a man casually crossing a busy Interstate-5 in Seattle when a WSP patrol car shows up ... the guy stops in his tracks, paces around, then goes up to the driver side door and yanks the cop out of the car. He pushes her to the freeway pavement, then gets behind the wheel and speeds off.

That's where our wild video ends, but the story doesn't end there ... because an intense police pursuit ensued ... and it ended with WSP officers pinning the car and taking the guy into custody.

Jen Shah is returning to social media, making her first appearance back on TikTok since her release from prison on December 10 --  touching on what life was like behind bars.

The former "Real Housewives of Salt Lake City" star is teaming up with “Shah Squad” member Murilo Bueno to dish out the details of her prison life for the past 33 months while she was incarcerated in Texas.

In the video, Shah and Bueno are using a trendy TikTok audio to describe a "prison bed time story" ... alluding to what Jen's life was like while mimicking a dramatic interaction with a fellow inmate.

So far, Jen hasn’t posted on her own TikTok or Instagram, but her appearance with Murilo seems to signal Jen’s return to the public eye ... and hints that she may be slowly easing back into social media after months away.

Rapper Nino Breeze allegedly got caught with the wrong kind of tree during the Xmas season ... the Florida native was slapped with a federal cannabis offense, but he's home now celebrating in front the Christmas tree.

Nino's attorneys, Bradford Cohen and Mark Rankin, tell TMZ Hip Hop ... Nino surrendered Monday to the U.S. Marshals at the federal courthouse in Tampa after being charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute marijuana.

The lawyers said Nino was released after a court hearing in which he agreed to post $100,000 cash bond and put up $100,000 in property as collateral.

Imani Dia Smith -- a former child actor who starred in "The Lion King" on Broadway -- has died.

According to a press release issued by Middlesex County, New Jersey, prosecutor Yolanda Ciccone and Edison Police Department chief Thomas Bryan, Smith was found Sunday in a residence in Edison, N.J. with stab wounds. She was reportedly pronounced dead at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick.

The press release says Smith's boyfriend, Jordan D. Jackson-Small, was arrested and charged in connection with the stabbing death.

Small, 35, was reportedly charged with first-degree murder, second-degree endangering the welfare of a child, third-degree possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose and fourth-degree unlawful possession of a weapon.

According to Playbill, Smith played Young Nala in "The Lion King" from September 27, 2011, to September 23, 2012.

According to a GoFundMe set up for the family, Smith is survived by a 3-year-old son.

She was 26.

There's even more Epstein documents coming -- more than a million in fact ... that's according to a post Wednesday from the U.S. Department of Justice.

The DOJ reports the FBI and Attorney for the Southern District of New York have given them the new trove of documents to "review for release."

They wrote, "We have lawyers working around the clock to review and make the legally required redactions to protect victims, and we will release the documents as soon as possible. Due to the mass volume of material, this process may take a few more weeks. The Department will continue to fully comply with federal law and President Trump’s direction to release the files."

This new stockpile of files could contain names and images of celebrities never-before linked to Jeffrey Epstein.

In his first interview since being released from the same prison that houses Diddy, former NBA player Sebastian Telfair tells TMZ what it was like being locked up with the music mogul.

Telfair chatted with our cameraperson just hours after being released from FCI Fort Dix, revealing it was rough for him getting locked up after living such a successful life, but he "couldn't imagine how Diddy felt."

Still, Telfair says the Bad Boy cofounder is making the most of it and staying in good spirits.

He said, "Diddy's holding it down. He's doing what he gotta do. And where he's at, they're going to help him."

LWD -- livestreaming while driving -- is why TikToker Tea Tyme is behind bars on Christmas Eve ... nearly 2 months after she allegedly ran over a pedestrian, cops have her in custody.

Tea Tyme -- or Tynesha McCarty-Wroten, IRL -- was arrested Tuesday in Zion, IL and booked for 2 felonies ... reckless homicide and aggravated use of communications resulting in death.

As that second count describes ... cops say Tynesha was livestreaming Nov. 3 in the suburb north of Chicago while she was driving, and ran into 59-year-old Darren Lucas as he walked across an intersection.

Diddy's legal team is ripping Judge Arun Subramanian, accusing him of crossing a line with the 50-month sentence ... and acting more like a juror than a judge.

Diddy filed a new appeal late Tuesday evening, demanding his conviction be overturned, and his release from prison ... or, at the very least, his sentence be lightened. While his lawyers have previously filed multiple appeals, this one singles out Judge Subramanian for acting as the "thirteenth juror" in Diddy's criminal trial.

In the docs, lead appeal attorney Alexandra Shapiro claims the judge's "draconian" 50-month sentence is based on the conduct for which the actual jurors acquited Diddy -- namely, the racketeering and sex trafficking counts.

Shapiro claims Subramanian incorrectly said during sentencing he could consider Diddy's behavior related to the more violent charges -- even though he'd been acquited of them -- which she calls a violation of Diddy's constitutional rights.

A former Rhode Island mayoral candidate wasn't very diplomatic toward a cop during a recent traffic stop — calling the officer a "d--k" while dropping the ol', "Do you know who I am?" line.

It all started on December 18 ... Maria Bucci, the current chair of the Cranston Democratic City Committee, was pulled over by a police officer in East Greenwich, RI, and the situation quickly turned ugly.

Making matters worse, the officer switched on his bodycam, capturing every moment of Bucci's terrible attitude. As you can see, Bucci was difficult right from the start, making faces at the officer as he tells her she smells like booze and was driving erratically.

Bucci then told the cop to stop embarrassing her and her friend, who was with her. After the cop says he's just doing his job, Bucci did her, "Do you know who I am" routine.

The cop says he doesn't know her, and then warns her not to name drop because it's not going to work with him.

The body of a 9-year-old California girl has been found two months after she vanished during an impromptu mother-daughter trip ... leading to the arrest of her mother.

Authorities say Melodee Buzzard’s body was found in Utah earlier this month, and her mother, Ashlee Buzzard, was taken into custody Tuesday in connection with the child’s death.

Officials confirmed Melodee was found in an area she had traveled to with her mom back in October ... and investigators believe she was killed there before her disappearance made headlines, KABC-TV reports.

2:09 PM PT -- Russell Brand is seemingly addressing the new charges against him in a video he just uploaded on social media.

In the selfie video, Russell says ... "This is a time of great darkness, a time of confusion and dispute and conflict, but I have learned in my own life that attack can bring about grace."

He adds ... "I feel so blessed to have the opportunity to atone for the many things over the years I did wrong, and the opportunity for the people to understand the truth of my situation."

10:27 AM PT -- A rep for Kevin Spacey tells TMZ ... “The 2002 trip to Africa with President Clinton to support AIDS causes and meet Nelson Mandela remains a genuine highlight in Kevin’s life. The fact that the plane was owned by Jeffrey Epstein is immaterial considering it was three years before Epstein was ever investigated. Whatever wrongdoing may have been taking place in the background has nothing to do with Kevin, any more than a hotel guest is responsible for actions occurring in a neighboring room. Kevin never saw or spoke to Jeffrey Epstein or Ghislaine Maxwell ever again.”

Kevin Spacey -- who vehemently called for the release of the Epstein Files this summer -- has been included in the trove of pics just released today.

In the image released by the U.S. Department of Justice ... the "American Beauty" star leans on the back of a chair alongside Bill Clinton, appearing to be in mid-conversation. They're standing in a room before a conference table littered with pads and writing utensils, suggesting they're preparing for a meeting of some sort.

According to CNN, the pic was taken inside the Cabinet Room of the Churchill War Rooms -- which is an underground bunker in London.

Clinton reportedly took Epstein's private jet on a humanitarian trip to Africa with Spacey in 2002.

One of the men convicted in the 2002 killing of RUN-DMC's DJ, Jam Master Jay, just had his murder conviction overturned last week -- a big surprise for Darryl McDaniels!!!

TMZ Hip Hop caught up with the legendary DMC walking our way in New York City on Monday, and he didn't even let us finish our sentence ... he had just heard the news!!!

On Friday, a U.S. District Judge granted Karl Jordan Jr. an acquittal on the murder charges handed down in Feb. 2024, citing an overall lack of evidence.

Kyle Chrisley, the son of "Chrisley Knows Best" stars Todd and Julie Chrisley, has been arrested in Tennessee on an array of charges -- including assault.

He was picked up by the Rutherford County Sheriff's Office Saturday night around 7 PM, and booked into the Rutherford County Adult Detention Center later that night, TMZ has learned. His charges include domestic assault, public intoxication, disorderly conduct, 3 charges for assaulting a first responder, and resisting arrest.

He also has 3 charges for retaliation for past actions, which means he may have harmed or threatened an individual in connection to their former actions against him. The sheriff's office was unable to share further details about the exact circumstances of his charges.

Suffice to say, Jeffrey Epstein should never have been allowed to be around children ... but, as these Department of Justice photos show, the pedophile was having a good time with someone who appears to be a kid.

Check 'em out ... The grainy pics capture Epstein sitting on a floor while acting playfully toward someone who looks like a minor. The DOJ redacted the person's image and did not provide their age or gender, so we can't know for sure, but there are some clues.

In one pic, you see Epstein staring at the person who appears to be an adolescent. Another photo shows Epstein leaning in and making a face at the youngster. In another image, Epstein is peering down at the youth with a slight grin. In other photos, it appears a youngster is sitting on his lap. See it all for yourself.