Crime

Jeffrey Epstein's once notorious Zorro Ranch in New Mexico is now crawling with investigators -- and TMZ has learned the authorities are trying to see if there's any substance to rumors dead bodies were buried on the property.

Sources familiar with the situation tell us ... the New Mexico Department of Justice is working in coordination with the ranch's new owner, Don Huffines, a Dallas-based real estate mogul who is currently running for Texas Comptroller.

Huffines and his family purchased the property in 2023 and then renamed it Rancho de San Rafael in honor of the patron saint of healing, promising to turn the land into a Christian retreat.

The Alexander brothers -- the wealthy trio charged with sex trafficking -- were found guilty on Monday.

Real estate moguls Oren and Tal Alexander were convicted alongside their brother Alon after a five-week trial … where they were facing allegations of drugging and raping dozens of women.

Jurors had heard testimony from 11 victims who said the brothers used their massive wealth and celebrity connections to assault them.

Kathy Ireland trusted business managers with her finances, but they used her as a personal piggy bank, stabbed her in the back and left her and her husband deeply in debt ... according to a new lawsuit.

In new legal docs, obtained by TMZ, the model-turned-mogul claims her former business managers not only misused her money, but also deceived her about her wealth and secretly took out loans in her name.

Kathy claims the alleged financial shenanigans cheated her and her husband, Dr. Greg Olsen, out of their home equity and life insurance policies, drained their retirement savings and forced them to sell their home.

The murder charge against the man accused of shooting and killing a woman at the Chiefs' championship parade in 2024 has been dropped, and his lawyer tells TMZ Sports his client will soon be going home.

Dominic Miller, who was facing a second-degree murder charge for the shooting death of Lisa Lopez-Galvan at the 2024 Super Bowl celebration, appeared in a Jackson County Circuit Court on Monday ... where prosecutors erased the charge.

Miller, instead, agreed to a plea deal, admitting to unlawful use of a weapon, accepting a two-year prison sentence, which he has already served (he's been behind bars).

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Harvey Weinstein says prison life has been brutal so far -- claiming he’s already taken a beating behind bars ... including one attack that left him bloodied on the floor.

In his first official sit-down interview behind bars, Weinstein says the incident went down at NYC’s Rikers Island when he simply asked the guy in front of him if he was done using the phone ... and the inmate allegedly responded by decking him in the face.

Weinstein told The Hollywood Reporter the punch sent him crashing to the ground, bleeding everywhere -- and even though guards asked who did it, he says he kept quiet because snitching behind bars is a no-go ... calling it the "law of the jungle."

Overall, things clearly aren’t looking great for Harvey healthwise -- 'cause his rep, Juda Engelmayer, tells TMZ he’s also battling spinal stenosis, blood cancer, diabetes, high blood pressure, has a heart stent, is losing vision due to disease, and is now confined to a wheelchair.

Adrian Peterson can put one of his 2025 DWI arrests behind him ... the former All-Pro running back reached a deal with Minnesota prosecutors, pleading guilty to one count of driving while impaired -- TMZ Sports has learned.

According to court documents, Peterson was sentenced to 90 days at the Hennepin County Adult Corrections Facility, but he won't have to spend it behind bars -- 'cause the sentence was stayed for the next year with conditions.

Peterson must perform 32 hours of community service within 180 days ... and, as part of his probation agreement, he'll have to attend a victim impact panel. He was also required to complete an alcohol screening, which documents indicate he already completed.

Per his arrangement with the State, the remaining charges were dropped.

Former NFL linebacker Darron Lee used ChatGPT after allegedly murdering his girlfriend in their Tennessee home, prosecutors said during a court hearing on Monday.

Lee -- who played five seasons in the NFL -- appeared in Hamilton County Court a month after Gabriella Perpetuo was found dead inside their Ooltewah home.

During the hearing, Hamilton County District Attorney Coty Wamp disclosed new information from the February incident ... claiming Lee, the day before Perpetuo was found dead, asked ChatGPT what to do when someone was not responsive.

State officials in New Mexico are reportedly conducting the first known thorough search of Jeffrey Epstein's infamous Zorro Ranch ... years after an anonymous tip alleged there were bodies buried on the property.

According to The New York Times, investigators began their search Monday, but acknowledged the passage of time may make things difficult.

The state's attorney general, Raúl Torrez, wrote in The Albuquerque Journal last week that there will be "real obstacles" to finding evidence of any potential offenses that may or may not have taken place on the ranch, but that "the people of New Mexico, and those who were harmed, are entitled to a complete and transparent accounting of what we found and what we did not."

Los Angeles is still reeling from the terrifying shooting at Rihanna's home Sunday ... and we have video of authorities racing to get to the bottom of it.

Yellow caution tape closed off the block today as an officer at the crime scene told us the investigation is still ongoing.

As we reported ... a 35-year-old woman named Ivanna Lisette Ortiz has been booked for attempted murder after allegedly firing multiple rounds into Rihanna's home from her car.

Rihanna was home at the time but it's unclear whether A$AP Rocky or their children were with her.

Dwight Howard and his wife, Amber Howard, have had a chaotic couple of weeks -- and it goes well beyond what’s played out publicly online -- because cops have been called to their Georgia home three separate times in the past two weeks.

A rep for the Gwinnett Police Department tells TMZ ... officers were dispatched to the former NBA star's mansion in Suwanee, GA three times over the past 14 days ... including for a suicide threat call, a domestic incident and a theft report.

The exact circumstances surrounding the three calls remain unclear.

The woman accused of shooting at Rihanna's home on Sunday seems to have shared multiple videos making incoherent accusations concerning the singer ... even what will happen when Rihanna dies.

Watch the clip ... in a YouTube video posted January 4, Ivanna Lisette Ortiz, clutches a 'Praying Woman's Journal' and appears to accuse Rihanna of trying to kill her. Even more disturbing ... Ortiz appears to say that when Rihanna dies, God will take Ortiz to her "future."

In another video, uploaded to YouTube on January 21, Ortiz seems to give a similar rant while holding the same book. In the second clip, Ortiz appears to liken Rihanna's face to the devil before delving into a tirade about homework.

Sherrone Moore copped a plea deal in his criminal case, but he's not completely out of the woods -- Paige Shiver's attorney tells TMZ Sports the former Michigan football staffer is not ruling out suing the coach and the school.

Moore pleaded no contest to two misdemeanors last week ... with the three original charges, including felony home invasion, getting dropped.

Both Shiver and her lawyer, Andrew M. Stroth, expressed disappointment with the deal ... urging the University of Michigan to take accountability for its "painful missteps." Stroth also said Shiver endured years of harassment and manipulation, leaving her "pressured, intimidated, and unable to escape conduct that should never occur in any workplace -- let alone at a public university."

That said, a potential lawsuit against Moore and/or the U-M is not out of the question.

Tyler Robinson -- the 22-year-old accused of murdering Charlie Kirk -- and his lawyers want cameras out of the courtroom to ensure a fair trial ... but the prosecution says, if anything, closed-door hearings will just encourage more outlandish publicity.

In court documents, obtained by TMZ, prosecutors ask for cameras to be allowed in the courtroom, saying, "keeping court proceedings as public as possible helps to quell and contradict the tide of misinformation," while secrecy fuels conspiracy theories.

The prosecution cites "a number of conspiracy theories" that have already circulated, including unfounded accusations that Israel was behind the murder.

Rihanna was at home Sunday when shots were fired inside her house ... and now we have the harrowing audio from the incident.

Listen to the clip ... The first dispatcher appears to say there were approximately 10 shots heard, while another dispatcher names a white Tesla Model 3 with paper license plates as the vehicle the shots were allegedly fired from.

As we reported ... multiple rounds were fired into Rihanna's Los Angeles-area home yesterday. While we know the singer was inside, it's unclear if A$AP Rocky or their children -- RZA, Riot Rose, and Rocki -- were with her.

According to law enforcement sources, the suspect has been identified as 35-year-old Ivanna Lisette Ortiz.

Indoor football player and college standout Jordan Jones tragically lost his life over the weekend in Georgia ... after he was shot outside of a bar while trying to break up a fight. He was only 28.

The Acworth Police Department said officers were dispatched to Saddle Bar for a shooting around 2:42 AM on Saturday. When they arrived, they found a male victim suffering from a gunshot wound and rendered aid.

He later succumbed to his injuries at Kennestone Hospital in Marietta, GA.

APD's investigation revealed the victim was Jones, who was working as a security guard at the bar.