FTX FOUNDER SAM BANKMAN-FRIED Found Guilty In Crypto Fraud Case

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FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried is not going to the moon, instead he appears headed for prison ... he's been found guilty on all counts against him in his federal cryptocurrency fraud case.

Federal law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... a jury in New York City convicted the disgraced "Crypto King" on all seven counts of fraud, money laundering and conspiracy ... the latest development in one of the largest financial fraud cases in U.S. history.

The jury verdict came back Thursday ... SBF was found guilty on two counts of wire fraud conspiracy, two counts of wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering ... each carries a maximum 20-year prison sentence.

Sam was also convicted on one count of conspiracy to commit securities fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit commodities fraud ... each carries a maximum 5-year prison sentence.

All told, SBF is facing up to 110 years behind bars.

Our sources say after the guilty verdict came down, Sam appeared despondent and sort of upset ... starting to tear up.

Following the weeks-long trial, all 12 jurors were in agreement on convicting SBF on each of the 7 charges.

As we reported ... Bankman-Fried was arrested in the Bahamas back on Dec. 12 before federal prosecutors in New York hit him with a slew of charges.

SBF was accused of taking billions of dollars in FTX customer deposits and using the money to fund investments, make political donations and buy luxury real estate.

FTX was once one of the world's biggest crypto exchanges, being valued at $30 billion before ultimately becoming insolvent and filing for bankruptcy.

SBF is scheduled to be sentenced March 28 in a case spearheaded by Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York.

Shannon Beador Breaks Silence on DUI ... Following Sentencing

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Shannon Beador is finally breaking her silence about her DUI and hit-and-run ... this after getting 3 years of probation for her dangerous drive.

The 'RHOC' star tells TMZ ... "I am grateful that no one else was injured besides me in this incident. I have learned so much from my terrible mistake that night and realize that driving any distance while impaired is too far."

As we reported, Shannon pleaded no contest Thursday and avoided jail time in her DUI case ... but was sentenced to 3 years of probation -- plus fees, fines, 40 hours of community service and a 9-month alcohol program.

Orange County D.A. Todd Spitzer tried to get the judge to give her a harsher sentence for the accident, including 30 days in jail, but the judge ruled differently -- and also dismissed one count of hit-and-run with property damage.

Shannon's lawyer, Michael Fell, tells TMZ ... the judge denied the D.A.'s jail time request and dropped the hit-and-run charge after receiving "legal arguments from both sides," adding, "Shannon had made full restitution to the homeowner in this matter, who did not desire prosecution."

He says Shannon already admitted her wrongdoing "at an early stage of the proceedings," taking full responsibility for her actions.

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SPEEDING & SWERVING

Remember, video from her drive in September showed her zip around a Newport Beach street, slamming into the side of a home.

Steven Tyler Sued for 1975 Sexual Assault ... Accuser Says She Was 17

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Steven Tyler allegedly sexually assaulted a woman in a New York City phone booth back in the '70s ... that's the claim from his accuser in a new lawsuit she's filed nearly 50 years after the alleged incidents.

The accuser, Jeanne Bellino, says she was a 17-year-old model in NYC when a friend arranged for them to meet Aerosmith and party with them. She says she was walking down 6th Ave with Tyler and his entourage when she made a comment about a song lyric that rubbed him the wrong way.

In docs, obtained by TMZ, Bellino claims Tyler grabbed her and shoved her into a phone booth, where he stuck his tongue down her throat, groped her body, pinned her against the wall of the booth and began "humping her pretending to have sex." She says his pants were on, but she could tell he was aroused.

She says she got out of the phone booth, but then stayed with the group and went to a nearby hotel. Bellino's reasoning for remaining with the group was that she needed her friend for transportation. Once they got to the hotel, she alleges Tyler pulled the same routine he did in the phone booth -- groping and humping her while clothed, this time at an entrance to a bar in the building.

At that point, Bellino claims she fled the hotel and took a cab ride home ... where she immediately told her sister what had allegedly happened with Tyler.

In the suit, Bellino says she still requires medication to deal with "long term physical injury" associated with her trauma. She's suing the Aerosmith frontman for damages.

Tyler was also sued for sexual assault last year, when Julia Holcomb claimed they met in 1973 when she was 16.

As for Bellino's lawsuit, she's claiming Tyler committed "at least one misdemeanor or felony." That's important because there's no statute of limitation for certain types of felony sexual assault under NY state law.

We've reached out to Tyler's reps for comment, no word back yet.

Tupac Shakur Alleged Killer Keefe D In Court ... For Arraignment on Murder Charge

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Duane "Keefe D" Davis, the man who's allegedly responsible for the murder of Tupac Shakur over 25 years ago finally got his day in court after 2 delays.

Keefe D was present and in handcuffs Thursday morning at a Clark County courtroom in Las Vegas to face his murder charge ... he pled not guilty after being appointed a public defender.

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BRIEF HEARING

As we reported, the 60-year-old suspect first showed up in court at the beginning of October, but his lawyer never appeared ... delaying the arraignment a couple of weeks. The second hearing was again delayed for the same issue.

After the initial hearing, Clark County D.A. Steve Wolfson said Keefe was expected to plead not guilty to the charge of murder with the use of a deadly weapon.

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CAPTURED ON A STROLL

Remember, Keefe D was arrested near the end of September -- and the body cam footage of the arrest showed him acting pretty calmly while being put in the back of the cop car.

Keefe had been outspoken in interviews about being involved with Tupac's killing ... which played a big role in ultimately leading investigators to crack open the 27-year-old case.

Mariah Carey Sued Over Christmas Hit

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Mariah Carey is bein' taken to court once again over her classic Christmas hit ... by the 2 men who claim they wrote a song of the same name.

Andy Stone and Troy Powers are coming after Mariah for at least $20 million in damages over her song, "All I Want For Christmas Is You" -- which happens to be the name of their 1989 holiday song.

TMZ broke the story, the refiling is nearly identical to last year's suit -- in which Stone called out Mariah for allegedly copying their track after their song got extensive airplay and even made it on the Billboard charts in the 1993 Christmas season.

In the new docs, obtained by TMZ, Stone and Powers claim there are substantial similarities in the lyrical hook, melody, and overall feel compared to their OG song ... adding Mariah's "palmed off these works with her incredulous origin story, as if those works were her own."

Gotta admit, it's hard to avoid Mariah's catchy tune when November rolls around ... Stone and Powers are looking for the big paycheck and are asking the judge to shut her down nonetheless.

We've reached out to Mariah's rep ... so far, no word back.

Gypsy Rose Blanchard Public Speaking Plans Post-Prison ... A Lot of Therapy Too

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Gypsy Rose Blanchard is ready to step up to a microphone once she's released from prison -- but it won't be for fame and attention, instead, she wants to help others who suffer like she once did.

The infamous felon, who pled guilty to second-degree murder for the 2015 slaying of her mother, is ready to turn over a new leaf when she gets out in December ... according to sources close to Gypsy.

Those sources tell TMZ ... Gypsy's planning on doing a lot of public speaking and engaging in advocacy work on behalf of child abuse victims. Obviously, that's how she categorizes herself, on account of what she says her mom, Dee Dee, put her through.

Specifically, we're told Gypsy wants to raise awareness about Munchausen's syndrome by proxy -- the medical term professionals have used to describe Dee Dee's actions.

It pertains to a parent who pretends their kids are sick and live out the lie.

Considering Gypsy's extensive experience in this realm, our sources say she believes she can help a lot of other people who might be going through something similar ... and in the same breath, it'll put a positive spotlight on mental health from her POV.

We're told Gypsy's grown and matured a lot while incarcerated, and she feels well-equipped to reacclimate into society and do some good. Our sources say she has a support system around her -- including her husband, Ryan -- to help with the transition.

One thing Gypsy's taken part in while in prison is group therapy -- which we're told was incredibly helpful -- but when she's out, she'll probably enter one-on-one trauma therapy sessions, as she's still working through her issues.

As we reported ... Gypsy was granted early parole last month, a few years before she was originally supposed to be released under her 10-year sentence.

'Challenge' Star Nelson Thomas Charged With DWI ... Months After Fiery Car Crash

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"The Challenge" star Nelson Thomas has officially been charged with DWI for his near-fatal car crash from earlier this year.

Thomas was hit with the misdemeanor charge at the end of September in Texas, according to docs obtained by TMZ ... and officers said he had "bloodshot, glassy eyes" as he explained to them that another car had swerved in front of him before the crash.

The docs say Thomas told cops he "only had 2-3 mixed alcoholic drinks," but officers claimed Thomas had a "strong odor of an alcoholic beverage emitting from his breath" while being treated for injuries at the hospital.

Cops say a blood test done while at the hospital came back with a BAC of .178 -- which kicked up his charge to Class A misdemeanor.

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PULLED FROM THE WRECKAGE

As we reported, Minnesota Vikings receiver K.J. Osborn and a few others helped pull Thomas out of the fiery vehicle back in March while driving by in an Uber, likely saving his life. Thomas later thanked K.J. for the heroic assist.

He also shared some pics of himself from the hospital, showing gnarly cuts and burns on his body ... and his GoFundMe was met with a ton of love and cash from fans and fellow reality TV stars like Corey Lay, Mark Long, and Tori Deal.

The Ashley's Reality Roundup first reported the news.

Robert De Niro Testifies At NYC Civil Trial ... Heated Exchanges On Witness Stand

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Robert De Niro testified at his civil trial against his former assistant ... and he got into some heated exchanges with opposing counsel, uttering at one point, "This is all nonsense!"

The Oscar-winning actor took the stand in an NYC courtroom for most of Monday afternoon -- and he appeared grumpy as he tried to keep his anger in check, which, at times, leaked out.

During his testimony, De Niro said he had previously made Graham Chase Robinson his emergency contact and depended on her to get greeting cards for his kids.

When Robinson's attorney asked if she was a diligent worker, De Niro sneeringly replied, "Not after everything I’m going through now."

At another point under cross-examination, De Niro became hot under the collar, while coming to the defense of his girlfriend, Tiffany Chen, who repeatedly clashed with Robinson and accused her of being in love with the superstar. In a pointed manner, De Niro testified that he and Chen "make decisions together."

Then Robinson’s lawyer implied that De Niro annoyed his client one morning in 2017 when he needed to be brought to the hospital.

De Niro seemed pissed, testifying, “That was one time when I cracked my back falling down the stairs!” He added that he put off calling Robinson after the accident, waiting several hours to contact her at a more reasonable time.

The biggest blowup came when De Niro defended what he described as his good treatment of Robinson after purchasing a five-bedroom Manhattan townhouse.

De Niro testified, “It is not like I’m asking for her to go out there and scrape floors and mop the floor. So this is all nonsense!"

The courtroom drama stems from a $6 million lawsuit Canal Productions filed against Robinson after she quit her $ 300,000-a-year job at the company.

From 2008 to 2019, Robinson worked as De Niro's personal assistant and was eventually promoted to Vice President for Production and Finance at Canal. In the suit, Canal claimed Robinson watched Netflix all day while on the clock, among other complaints.

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DE NIRO'S DAY IN COURT

Robinson filed a $12 million countersuit against Canal and De Niro for allegedly violating New York's Human Rights Law. She said De Niro inflicted severe emotional stress and reputational harm, accusing him of calling her a "bitch and a "brat." She also said claimed De Niro refused to give her a reference for a new job after her many disputes with his girlfriend.

We covered it all on the latest episode of The TMZ Podcast, available on all podcast platforms.

SUPER BOWL SELFIE KID Busted For Probation Violation ... Cops Say He Was Boozing

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Ryan McKenna, famous for snapping a viral Super Bowl selfie years ago with Justin Timberlake, is in more legal trouble -- this time cops say he pulled a few no-nos for a guy on probation.

According to new legal docs, obtained by TMZ, Ryan was arrested earlier this month in Florida after his probation officer discovered he'd traveled out of state without permission.

The PO says he got suspicious when Ryan sent an email saying he was "unsure" of any outstanding conditions for October, even though Ryan had already checked in for the month.

When he called Ryan, he didn't answer ... so he dialed his mom, and she told him Ryan was back in Naples, FL, where Ryan had been arrested in February in the case that led to his probation.

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PLEADING WITH POLICE

Problem is ... the PO says Ryan's address on file is in Massachusetts, and he's supposed to get permission before leaving the state.

When Ryan finally called back, he admitted being back in Florida without getting the PO's permission ... and based on that "unusual behavior," the officer tested Ryan for drugs and alcohol, and says it came back positive for booze.

Major screwup on Ryan's part, and not just because he's under 21 -- as we first reported, Ryan's also not allowed to consume alcohol as a condition of his probation.

Ryan copped to drinking on Oct. 12, even though he'd previously told his PO he didn't. The officer says Ryan was upfront about knowing booze was off limits and lying to his probation officer is also a violation.

Ryan was arrested, posed for a new mug shot and is due back in court Monday morning for arraignment.

TMZ broke the story ... cops were called to a California Pizza Kitchen in Naples, on the eve of the Super Bowl, after they were told Ryan was drunk and had hit his buddy.

Ryan was booked for felony battery on a law enforcement officer and 2 misdemeanors -- resisting arrest and obstruction of an officer -- and video shows him getting body slammed during his arrest. In May, he was eventually hit with a year of probation in the case, but with this violation ... he could get jail time.

Aaron Carter Son Princeton Sues Doctors, Pharmacies for Wrongful Death ... Claims Prescribing Oxy, Hydrocodone Was Reckless

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Aaron Carter died from a drowning accident, but his son believes the wheels were set in motion by doctors and pharmacies that destroyed Aaron's judgment ... and he's suing them for wrongful death.

Princeton Lyric Carter, the nearly 2-year-old son of Aaron, claims in a new lawsuit, obtained by TMZ, doctors prescribed Hydrocodone, Oxycodone and Alprazolam with no medical justification and knowing Aaron's "mental health and psychiatric condition.

The lawsuit names, among others, Walgreens, claiming the drugs and quantities, along with Aaron's psychiatric issues, should have sounded alarm bells for the pharmacy.

Aaron died November 5, 2022 -- he was found by his housekeeper, dead in his bathtub. The official cause of death was Xanax and huffing that led to drowning.

Princeton's mom, Melanie Martin, filed the suit on his behalf.

The lawsuit seeks unspecified damages.

'RHOC' Shannon Beador DUI BAC Was 3x The Legal Limit Charged With Hit-And-Run, DUI

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"The Real Housewives of Orange County" star Shannon Beador has officially been charged after she allegedly drunkenly drove into the side of a Newport Beach home last month.

Shannon's just been hit with 2 charges by the Orange County District Attorney -- one count of DUI and one count of hit-and-run, both misdemeanors. Law enforcement sources tell TMZ she blew a .24% BAC after the crash.

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SPEEDING & SWERVING

TMZ broke the story, the reality star was arrested in September after slamming her car into a home -- footage shows what appears to be her car flying through a residential area before her crash.

Cops said they found Shannon nearby pretending to walk her dog, but they weren't buying it and booked her on 2 misdemeanors -- DUI plus hit-and-run.

As we reported, she offered to pay for the damage done to the property and has been getting treatment.

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LEAVING THE SCENE

A witness at a nearby bar told us Shannon appeared to be tipsy the night of her crash and arrest ... acting loud and boisterous while complaining about her former 'Housewives' costar, Alexis Bellino, who was also in the building.

Lizzo Tour Staff Claps Back At Ex-Dancers ... They Liked the Banana Sex Show!!!

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Lizzo's tour staffers have her back in the sexual harassment lawsuit leveled against the singer by some former dancers ... saying Lizzo promoted a positive environment and never forced anyone to go to sex shows they didn't want to attend.

According to new legal docs, obtained by TMZ, 18 independent members of Lizzo's touring company wrote declarations standing with Lizzo and disputing the claims made against her by three of her former dancers ... Arianna Davis, Crystal Williams and Noelle Rodriguez.

Kiara Mooring, a dancer on the tour, is pushing back against claims there was an unspoken rule about facing punishment for not going out with Lizzo when invited -- as the dancers claim in their suit.

She says, "This claim also makes no sense because plenty of the dancers (myself included) did not go to Bananenbar that night and we still have our job dancing with Lizzo."

Remember ... Bananenbar hosts Amsterdam's famed banana sex show, and it's where the dancers suing Lizzo claim she sexually denigrated them by allegedly forcing them to touch the nude performers.

Melissa Locke, another dancer, says she remembers talking with two of Lizzo's accusers, Davis and Rodriguez, the morning after the Bananenbar outing. She says, "They never said they felt uncomfortable or pressured. They were very enthusiastic about what a great night out they had."

Melissa adds ... "I remember telling them, 'That sounds like so much fun, I wish you had woken me up to go with you.' They agreed that it was a fun night and told me that they went out in the Red Light District after. They did not complain or sound upset in any way."

Davis claims Lizzo body-shamed her for gaining weight and used an admission of an eating disorder to justify firing her, but two other dancers say they aren't buying it.

Alaini Walker, who started dancing on tour after the accusers were out, says ... "In my experience, there was absolutely no body shaming on tour. I have experienced racial discrimination, sexual harassment and body shaming in this industry, but never while working with Lizzo. In fact, Lizzo’s tour felt like the opposite of many negative experiences I have had as a dancer."

Asia Banks backs up Alaini, saying ... "I was the biggest dancer on the tour. Lizzo always went out of her way to make me feel secure and confident in my body, including by making sure I was comfortable in every single costume for the show."

Zuri Appleby, the bass player, says Davis was never fat-shamed ... "To the contrary, everyone on the tour was genuinely concerned about Davis, not because she had gained weight, but because she was lax about her performances, her hygiene and her health."

Chawnta Van, a dancer, says she never experienced or witnessed racism on tour. She says Lizzo supports and empowers Black women and "would never tolerate any racism on tour."

Lizzo's accusers claim they had to turn down other dancing gigs during pauses on tour ... but Chawnta says the dancers had a retainer where they would be paid a percentage of their weekly rate when the tour was paused, and could still book other gigs when Lizzo didn't have a show.

Remember ... Noelle claims she feared Lizzo was going to physically attack her during a May 3 meeting where she resigned, but another dancer who says she was there claims, "Lizzo never got near Rodriguez or in her face."

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LOVING AMSTERDAM

The assistant tour manager, Molly Gordon, says Crystal was fired for performance, tardiness and budget restrictions ... and she says Crystal begged to hang around on tour after being given the boot.

The declarations are part of a motion filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court by Lizzo’s attorneys seeking to dismiss most if not all of the claims.

Kim Zolciak & Kroy Biermann Ordered to Pay $230,000 In Bank Lawsuit

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The debts keep piling on for Kim Zolciak and Kroy Biermann ... they've been ordered to pay approximately $230,000 to a bank that sued them.

According to court docs, obtained by TMZ, a court in Georgia just ordered Simmons Bank judgment against the estranged couple for $226,836.22 ... as well as $178.51 in interest, $2,071.57 in foreclosure fees and $1,945.31 in attorneys' fees.

That's $231,031.61 in total ... yikes!!!

The lawsuit, filed back in July had to do with a home equity line of credit the couple defaulted on.

This isn't the only lawsuit they're dealing with ... TMZ broke the story, the couple was sued back in August by SAKS/CAPITAL ONE the company claimed Kim's credit card had a $115,000 limit -- and she'd fallen behind on making payments -- the suit stated Kim owed $156,080.64 in total on the card.

We were also the first to report the couple recently listed their Georgia family home for $6 million, asking the court to halt a scheduled foreclosure auction on the property and allow them to sell it on their own.

Kim and Kroy are still living under the same roof at the home, but they've been ordered to keep their distance ... Kim's in the basement/nanny suite and Kroy gets the primary bedroom.

You gotta imagine the court allows them to sell their home without it going to foreclosure auction to help them settle some of these debts ... cuz the hole keeps getting deeper.

Ethan Slater Zipped Lips on Ariana Grande ... Leaving Divorce Hearing

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NO COMMENT LEAVING COURT

Ethan Slater is keepin' it quiet on his love life with Ariana Grande ... refusing to spill any relationship tea while stepping out of court after a divorce hearing.

The actor/singer was leaving a New York courtroom Friday following an appointment to handle the ongoing divorce and custody proceedings with his estranged wife, Lilly Jay.

Ethan didn't wanna chat, even when asked about Ariana. We also touched on his plans for co-parenting once his divorce is finalized, but all he gave was a smirk.

TMZ broke the story, Ethan and Ariana were spotted together last week on a date night in NYC, grabbing a a private table in the heart of Manhattan. Witnesses told us they were definitely flirty and touchy-feely during the night out.

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HAPPIER TIMES

They also took to Disney World last month, getting a VIP tour ... so their relationship certainly hasn't turned sour.

Remember, Ethan filed for divorce from Lilly in July, and sources told us Ethan "desperately" wants to co-parent their infant son.

As for Ariana and her ex, Dalton Gomez, the two simultaneously filed for divorce in September -- and reached a settlement a month later where she agreed to pay him $1,250,000.

Britney Spears Jamie's Lawyer Claims Brit's Lawyer Boasted ... I'm The 'King Of Entertainment Litigation'

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Britney Spears' lawyer is drinking his own Kool-Aid ... crowning himself the "King of Entertainment Litigation" during a heated conversation with Jamie Spears' attorney.

Mathew Rosengart screamed the phrase at Jamie's attorney, Alex Weingarten, when the two were going back and forth over settlement negotiations last summer ... at least according to Alex.

The way Weingarten recalls the conversation ... after telling Britney's lawyer he was dead wrong about Jamie authorizing illegal surveillance of Britney and warning him the statute of limitations was about to expire, Rosengart started yelling about being the "King of Entertainment Litigation."

Weingarten says he told Rosengart he was wasting his client's money by pressing his claims, but Weingarten tells TMZ, "Rosengart refused [to settle] and said that if he was not paid $7 million to cover his legal fees, that he was going to file new lawsuits against Jamie and others."

Weingarten goes on to tell TMZ, "Britney's lawyer has wasted over $7 million of her money on nothing."

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FACING SERIOUS REPRECUSSIONS

TMZ broke the story ... Rosengart now wants to settle with Jamie, but his camp is telling Rosengart to go pound sand because he blew it by waiting way too long. Weingarten says there was no illegal surveillance, but even if Rosengart wanted to press that claim, he can't anymore ... the statute of limitations has long since expired.

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BEGINNING OF THE END???

Weingarten also says Rosengart has been fighting turning over documents, because "it will be embarrassing to him personally and devastating to his client's allegations."

As for Rosengart, he tells TMZ what he thinks of his legal adversary ... "A known bully, he has conducted himself disgracefully in this matter, making false representation after false representation including to the court. His entire endgame is to bully and harass Britney Spears ..."

Rosengart goes on, "... he now continues to beclown himself with bottom of the barrel knowingly false and ridiculous statements, which we will not further dignify."

Britney Spears Lawyer Ready to Settle with Jamie ... But There's a Big Problem

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Britney Spears' lawyer has sent an email to the lawyer repping Jamie Spears, hurling numerous allegations against her dad -- opening the door for settlement negotiations -- but we're told Jamie's lawyer wasn't having it, saying he blew it by waiting way too long.

Two sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... Mathew Rosengart's email opened with an acknowledgment Jamie was in poor health and this might be an appropriate time to acknowledge his alleged misdeeds during the conservatorship and pay Britney an unspecified sum so the legal dispute could be put to bed.

One of his claims ... Jamie authorized the illegal surveillance of Britney ... specifically her phone. Here's the problem for Rosengart ... he never filed a lawsuit claiming illegal surveillance and the statute of limitations lapsed more than a year ago. Besides that, we're told Jamie's lawyer responded to Rosengart he was dead wrong about illegal surveillance.

Jamie has made a demand for Britney to pay certain attorneys fees he incurred connected with the conservatorship, but Rosengart says that's a no-go. We've learned Jamie's lawyer actually offered a year ago to withdraw that claim if Rosengart withdrew his claims against Jamie, but Rosengart said no. Now, a year later, Rosengart seems ready to talk settlement, but we're told it didn't go over well with Jamie's team because of all the threats and allegations.

Now the case is set for trial in May, and we're told there is explosive evidence that would not be favorable to Britney. Beyond that, some of the biggest claims Rosengart has made will never go to court because the statute of limitations has run, and the conservatorship judge approved some of the expenditures Rosengart is contesting.

Sounds like an uphill climb.

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BEGINNING OF THE END???