Mystikal Rejects Plea Deal in Rape Case ... Wants Charges Dropped
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Mystikal's not taking any plea deals in his rape case and actually believes there's a strong chance the charges will be dropped altogether.
The rapper's lawyer, Joel Pearce, tells TMZ ... he recently met with Caddo Parish, Louisiana prosecutors and they offered what seems like a sweet deal. The aggravated rape charge, which carries a life sentence, would be reduced to simple third-degree rape ... with a 25-year max sentence. He says they'd also drop the second-degree kidnapping charge.
In exchange, Mystikal would have to plead guilty to felony simple rape ... which Pearce says he's unwilling to do. Offer rejected.
We're told Mystikal and his defense team believe the alleged victim is lying and has major credibility issues, so they're ready to play this out in court.
The trial's scheduled to start in May, but Pearce says plea negotiations are still ongoing,
We broke the story ... Mystikal finally posted his hefty bond and was released from prison last month after spending 18 months behind bars.
He posed with his lawyers on the way out and said he was thankful for to get back to being a father and working on music. A big chunk of his bail money came from an advance on a new recording deal.
A spokesperson for the Caddo Parish D.A.'s office says it has no comment because it's an ongoing case.
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'RHOA' Star Peter Thomas Busted In Miami ... On Warrant
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3/4 -- In a statement, Peter tells us, "I understand the seriousness of the allegations that have been filed against me, however the allegations are false. I do have faith in the judicial process and have no doubt that I will be acquitted from any wrong doing. While I can offer no further information about this incident, I do confirm that my attorney is handling this matter expeditiously."
'Real Housewives of Atlanta' star Peter Thomas just got arrested in Miami on an out of state warrant ... TMZ has learned.
Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... Peter was busted Friday after getting off a plane at Miami International Airport. We're told he was taken into custody on a warrant from Louisiana for allegedly writing fake checks, and he's being held without bond.
You might remember Peter from the time he pulled a knife on Kenya Moore's ex, Matt Jordan, during a brawl in the middle of a radio interview. He claimed self-defense.
Peter and Cynthia Bailey got married on season 3 of 'RHOA' -- but they separated back in 2016. He still appears on the show every once in a while, usually with his stepdaughter, Noelle Robinson.
Story developing ...
Originally Published -- 3/1/2019 6:52 PM PT
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Safaree Samuels 3 Alleged Robbers ... Indicted on Multiple Charges
The three guys who allegedly robbed Safaree Samuels at gunpoint -- in plain view of surveillance cameras -- have just been indicted.
Shawn Harewood, Tacuma Ashman and Carl Harry were all slapped with a 7-count indictment ... including armed robbery in the first degree and unlawful possession of a gun in the second degree. They were also charged with 1 count of resisting arrest ... after crashing their car and fleeing on foot.
TMZ broke the story ... Safaree was held at gunpoint in April 2018 and robbed of more than $180k in cash and jewelry. The men had allegedly been tracking him for some time before it all went down in a parking garage. What's worse, one of the alleged thieves is someone Safaree knew very well.
If convicted they're facing a possible maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
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Pacman Jones Arrested at Casino Allegedly Cheated at Table Game
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8:03 AM PT -- A spokesperson for the Indiana Gaming Commission tells TMZ Sports ... officials were called to investigate Jones for possible cheating at a table game.
When they responded, Jones became verbally combative and disorderly and was placed under arrest.
More trouble for Pacman Jones ... this time the NFL star has been arrested at a casino in Indiana -- and it seems like a carbon copy of a 2015 incident.
Officials confirm the 35-year-old was arrested at the Rising Star Casino early Wednesday morning for disorderly conduct, resisting law enforcement, public intoxication and intimidation.
He was booked into the local jail around 3 AM. We've got the mug shot and we're continuing to work on details. He's still being held in jail with no bond.
Back in 2015, Jones was escorted out of the Hollywood Casino in Indiana after getting into it with a casino employee. Security got involved and called police, and Jones was removed from the building.
TMZ Sports obtained footage from the 2015 incident showing police walking Jones off the property. You can hear him say in the video, "Where I'm from, if I ain't threatening you, if I ain't do s**t to you, then I ain't disorderly conduct."
Prosecutors ultimately decided NOT to move forward with charges in that incident.
Jones was arrested again in 2017 -- when cops say he got violent at a Hyatt hotel and then spit on a jail staffer. Cops released footage from that arrest which showed Pacman telling an officer to "suck my d*ck" and "I hope you die."
In 2013, he struck a woman in a nightclub incident (he was found not guilty).
In 2011, he was arrested for disorderly conduct while intoxicated and resisting arrest.
He was also arrested in 2005 ... and 2006.
Pacman was also attacked in 2018 -- when a person who worked at the Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in Atlanta confronted the NFL player in front of his wife.
Pacman knocked the dude out cold in a brawl captured on video.
Jones has played in the NFL for 14 years -- most recently, he played with the Denver Broncos. He played 7 games with the team in 2018 before being released in November.
Before that, he had a run with the Tennessee Titans, Dallas Cowboys and Cincinnati Bengals. He was selected to the Pro Bowl in 2015.
Jones has reportedly made close to $40 million during his NFL career.
Story developing ...
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YNW Melly Murder Case Cops Say He Rode Around w/ Dead Bodies ... And Faked a Drive-By
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YNW Melly tried hatching an elaborate scheme to trick cops into thinking his buddies were killed by someone other than him and a pal -- at least, according to cops.
According to YNW's booking report out of Miramar, FL -- obtained by TMZ -- the rapper's friend, Cortlen Henry, drove to an ER in the wee hours of Oct. 26, asking for help for his two friends in his car, whom he claimed had been shot in a drive-by.
Cops say that the victims -- Anthony Williams and Christopher Thomas Jr. -- were pronounced dead at the hospital. They were both shot in the head, torso and back. Police say it was a grisly scene ... blood splattered about the car.
Cortlen told police he and his two pals had just wrapped a late night studio sesh, and as he was pulling off the freeway ... a car pulled up on his driver's side and opened fire. Cops confirm there were 8 bullet holes along the right side of the vehicle -- where Williams and Thomas sat. Cortlen escaped injury.
As police investigated Henry's account, they found forensic evidence leading them to believe he lied and was covering up a very different murder.
Cops say they found a shell casing inside the vehicle, along with 8 matching shell casings in a different location, where cops think YNW and Henry shot up the car to make it look like a drive-by.
Cops say the initial shot was fired from inside the vehicle -- not outside, as Henry claimed -- and originated from the left rear passenger side of the car, which is where they say they later discovered YNW had been sitting.
Police say surveillance footage from the recording studio shows YNW, Henry, Williams and Thomas getting in the car to leave. YNW got into the back left seat.
Cops say after Williams and Thomas were shot, YNW and Henry drove around with the dead bodies "for a period of time" before driving to the hospital. Henry later told police YNW was, in fact, in the same car with them ... but exited at some point and got in another car.
Something else that doesn't help YNW ... a documentary about his life and career, that cops say they watched ... which "glorifies his use and possession of firearms." Oh, and he's also got a song called "Murder On My Mind." It's dark stuff.
YNW and Henry have been charged with two counts of first-degree murder.
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YBN Almighty Jay Surrenders in Felony Theft Case ... But 'I Didn't Do S***!!!'
YBN Almighty Jay is turning himself in to cops who are investigating him for allegedly stealing another rapper's chain, Rolex and cash ... but he tells us 5-0's got the wrong guy.
We got the rapper Tuesday as he was about to walk in to LAPD -- a little more than a week after cops named him a suspect for felony grand theft. Still, he strongly denies he's the culprit ... telling us, repeatedly, "I didn't do s**t!"
We broke the story ... YBN was filming videos in Chatsworth, CA with another rapper, Skinnyfromthe9 ... when he and his crew allegedly ran off with tons of loot -- a $40k chain, $20k Rolex and $20k cash.
In surveillance footage of the incident, you see a couple men approach Skinny's Range Rover which YBN was standing next to, and after a struggle ... the men run away.
YBN admits it's him in the video, but insists he had nothing to do with jacking the cash and jewelry.
Law enforcement sources tell us Almighty Jay will be booked for grand theft. Probably a good thing he brought his lawyer with him.
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R. Kelly Stopped Cook Co. Jail in its Tracks ... When He Got Visitors
R. Kelly still has the star power to bring things to a screeching halt, 'cause he did exactly that on at least a couple of occasions this weekend while behind bars.
Sources tell TMZ that Cook County Jail became temporarily paralyzed twice between Saturday and Monday, while Kelly was incarcerated there after turning himself in Friday.
We're told the jail's guards were told twice -- once on Saturday and again on Monday -- to cease the other inmates' movements entirely while Kelly was being transported through the facility to meet visitors. Our sources say the visits lasted 15 minutes.
Think about that for a minute. Cook County jail houses roughly 6,100 inmates ... and all of them had to sit tight whenever R. Kelly was on the move. We're told jail officials are ecstatic he's gone, 'cause it's a pain to do that for one inmate.
A Cook County Jail spokesperson made no bones about it ... telling us Kelly's celebrity status is absolutely the reason for the temporary jail freeze. Officials didn't want the other inmates causing a fuss as the singer was taken from one division of the jail to another.
No surprise then that our sources say Kelly was isolated from general pop while he was locked up.
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R. Kelly Out of Jail ... Comes Up with $100k Bond And Hits Up McDonald's
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R. Kelly is a free man again -- it was total pandemonium as he walked out of jail -- and he'll have to pay off a 6-figure child support tab almost immediately if he wants to avoid getting locked up again.
Kelly's $100k bond -- 10% of his $1 million bail -- was finally posted Monday after he appeared in court and entered a not guilty plea to all 10 counts of aggravated sexual abuse. As he walked out of jail, wearing his blue down coat, Kelly was swarmed by photogs and reporters.
There also seemed to be a number of protesters yelling at Kelly, calling him a pedophile and asking how he'd feel if someone urinated on his daughter -- but they used more colorful language.
Sources in Kelly's camp tell us he paid the bond with a bank cashier's check ... so, there won't be any issues with his check clearing.
Although Kelly's out, he's staring down another deadline. TMZ broke the story ... he has to pay about $160k in back child support to his ex-wife, Drea Kelly, by March 6. If he doesn't, it's right back to County lockup.
The Kelly sources tell us he plans to make arrangements to pay the child support by next week, so he can focus on his criminal defense ... and avoid jail.
It's possible he could be facing additional charges after attorney Michael Avenatti dropped an additional bombshell -- a NEW tape showing Kelly having sex with the same 14-year-old girl from the other tape. Avenatti has now turned over both tapes to Cook County prosecutors.
5:05 PM PT -- R. Kelly made a pit stop after leaving jail, stopping off at McDonald's for some quick eats.
We're told Kelly ordered a quarter pounder meal with BBQ sauce on the side, washing it down with a soda and some coffee. We're told Kels got cream and sugar with his coffee, but he went back to the counter and asked for more.
We're told the singer sat down and ate with his team inside the fast-food restaurant for about half an hour, and they left after a small crowd began to gather.
Kelly paid for his team's order, and we're told the bill was under $50.
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R. Kelly Got the Full Buffet During Weekend Lockup
R. Kelly's got a full plate of problems right now -- but at least he also had a full plate of decent grub while he was in the hokey waiting to be released on bond.
The singer got sprung from jail Monday after his lawyers posted the necessary $100k he had to cough up to fulfill his $1 million bond. The question on everyone's mind since he turned himself in on Friday though ... what the hell did Kels eat behind bars???
We now have the answer based on the Cook County Jail's monthly menu, which TMZ has obtained. We gotta say ... it sounds like he ate pretty well this past weekend.
Here's what R. Kelly was fed on Saturday and Sunday for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Saturday:
B -- Breakfast square, bread, jelly, margarine, drink mix (whatever that is), applesauce
L -- Cured turkey, bread, egg (just one???), chips, cookie, mustard, drink mix
D -- Meatballs, teriyaki sauce, fluffy rice, carrots, bread, margarine, pudding and milk
Sunday:
B -- Breakfast square, bread, jelly, ginger snap, peanut butter, drink mix
L -- Turkey salami, bread, cereal, cookie and salad
D -- House fried rice, mixed veggies, bread, margarine, iced cake and milk
Not exactly the "Chocolate Factory" or anything, but hey ... at least it's still hot and fresh out the kitchen. Too soon???
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R. Kelly World Tour Promoters Holding Out Hope, No Refunds Yet
R. Kelly's upcoming global concerts are still a go -- even though he's currently tied up right now -- and it doesn't sound like refunds will be issued until push comes to shove.
Concerts Stuttgart -- a promoter for a couple German concerts R. Kelly is supposed to perform at in April -- sent an update to ticket holders Monday, saying they're holding off on selling more tickets, given R. Kelly's legal sitch here in the States.
CS goes on to say (in rough English translation) ... "At the moment, and we also have to admit that, the chances of the tour are rather bad, yet we would like to wait for the outcome of the (case). It is also correct that Robert had to (surrender) his passport for now."
Even on the slim chance R. Kelly shows up to perform -- the guy's still behind bars as of Monday afternoon -- the group says it is not giving out refunds until they see how his case plays out.
Interestingly enough, other promoters around the world that hired R. Kelly seem to be following the same plan. Sources tell us that shows in Australia, New Zealand, Sri Lanka and the Netherlands that R. Kelly was booked to perform at this year have not been canceled ... at least not yet.
Too bad for R. Kelly, because our sources say he was set to make a stack of bills for the world tour. And, based on the fact he hasn't posted bail, he may need the dough.
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R. Kelly Avenatti Turns Over New Sex Tape ... More Depraved Than 1st
10:10 AM PT -- Avenatti spoke Monday morning at the courthouse, claiming the race of R. Kelly's alleged victims played a huge role in the delay of justice -- calling it R. Kelly's "reign of abuse and assault." He has now turned the tape over to the State's Attorney.
Prosecutors are about to get another sex tape in the R. Kelly case, and sources tell us it is even more shocking than the most recent one.
Sources familiar with the case tell TMZ ... attorney Michael Avenatti will turn over a 55-minute VHS video Monday to Cook County prosecutors. We're told the video shows R. Kelly having sex with the same 14-year-old girl depicted in the first video Avenatti obtained, which was shot in 1999. This second video was shot around 2000.
We're told, just like the first video, there are multiple references to the girl being 14 years old. Our sources say R. Kelly is repeatedly "coaching" the girl through various sexual situations.
At one point, we're told R. Kelly is seen choking the girl while having anal intercourse. Our sources also say there's a part where he takes some sort of lotion and "sprays" it all over her face. We're told he then chokes her, mounts her from behind and turns her face to the camera for a reaction shot.
We've also learned Avenatti is in the process of procuring a third tape showing R. Kelly with a different girl -- who, at the time, was somewhere between 13 and 16 years old. Our sources say Avenatti's team has identified the person in possession of the video and is attempting to get it.
Originally Published -- 1:00 AM PST
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Lil Pump Charges Dropped After Body Cam Vid Shows Cop Going Nuclear
Lil Pump is off the hook in his Miami airport criminal case in which he had a showdown with cops ... just days after TMZ published body cam video showing a cop getting in his face.
Pump's attorney appeared in a Miami court Monday morning where the State Attorney dropped the disorderly conduct case against the rapper ... this according to Pump's attorney, Kenneth Weisman.
TMZ broke the story ... Pump was busted back in December after he was yanked from his flight bound for L.A. Cops accused the rapper of secreting weed in his luggage. When Pump insisted the bag wasn't his, a cop went nuclear on him.
Body cam footage, obtained last week by TMZ, showed the intense showdown with cops ... you hear a cop shouting in Pump's face, saying, "It's your bag now" after Pump insisted it wasn't his.
Pump and his manager were arrested for disorderly conduct ... but it's now Pump's in the clear.
Pump's attorney tells TMZ, "I commend the State Attorneys Office’s for concluding that the underlying incident was nothing more than an emotionally charged police-citizen encounter that involved no criminal wrongdoing on the part of [Lil Pump]."
As we first reported ... Miami PD brass is now reviewing the tape to determine if the officer overreacted.
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Tee Grizzley Here's What R. Kelly & Jussie Can Expect in Prison ... And It Isn't Good
Tee Grizzley's done some hard time, so he speaks from experience when he explains what R. Kelly and Jussie Smollett should expect behind bars ... if they end up getting locked up.
We got the Detroit rapper at LAX Friday afternoon ... he tells us there's a big difference between what he went to prison for and what the singer and actor have been charged with -- it all comes down to honor.
Tee says R. Kelly and Jussie are the kind of guys who might get preyed upon, not just because of what they're accused of ... but because they have money.
Watch the clip ... Grizzley makes their outlook seem pretty bleak, and he doesn't have any good advice for them either.
BTW -- the "street stuff" Tee got put away for was a pair of home invasions. He was released in 2016 after serving 18 months.
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Tennis' Justin Gimelstob Denies Alleged Halloween Assault ... I'm Not Violent!
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Justin Gimelstob -- an ex-tennis star and broadcaster -- says he did NOT beat the hell out of a man during a trick-or-treating run last Halloween ... telling TMZ Sports he's not a violent person.
As we previously reported ... Gimelstob -- a former doubles champ who's coached tennis star John Isner -- was arrested after he allegedly roughed up a man named Randall Kaplan on Oct. 31, 2018.
According to Kaplan ... Gimelstob punched him "more than 50 times" in the face and head during the alleged assault and threatened to "f**king kill" him.
Gimelstob was charged with felony battery ... but when we got him out after his latest court date in L.A. on Thursday -- he told us he's an innocent man.
"I'm not the person that's been depicted here," Gimelstob says ... adding that he's NOT a violent person.
Gimelstob is facing up to 4 years in prison AND a fine of up to $10,000. He previously pled not guilty to the charge back in December.
Justin's due back in court next week.
Gimelstob was a star in doubles matches back in the late '90s ... winning with partner Venus Williams in both the 1998 Australian Open and 1998 French Open mixed doubles tournaments.
Gimelstob -- who's become a star broadcaster in retirement -- has taken a leave of absence from his role as an analyst on the Tennis Channel while his case plays out in the court system.
Casey Aldridge Jamie Lynn's Baby Daddy Busted For Prescription Pills
Jamie Lynn Spears' baby daddy got arrested for drug possession after police say they found him out cold behind the wheel of a vehicle.
Cops in Mississippi busted Casey Aldridge last week, and according to the arrest report, obtained by TMZ, he had several different prescriptions pills on him.
Officers were responding to a call for a suspicious vehicle parked alongside a road in Natchez, MS. Police say they found Casey passed out in the driver's seat and transported him to a local hospital.
Once he came to, he got the bad news ... you're getting arrested.
We're told Casey was booked for possession of Oxycodone, lorazepam, Xanax and drug paraphernalia.
Casey and Britney Spears' younger sister have one daughter together ... 10-year-old Maddie.
Jamie Lynn was 16 when she got pregnant back in 2007, and Casey was 18. They got engaged but eventually broke off their engagement.
JLS is now married to Jamie Watson, and they had a little girl, Ivey Joan, last year.
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21 Savage New Mug Shot for Missed Concert Case ... I'm So Over It!!!
21 Savage's face kinda says it all -- 2 days after ICE finally released him, he had to pose for this mug shot in his felony theft case. Sooo ... zero reason to smile.
As we first reported, the rapper turned himself in to cops last Friday in southern Georgia. He was booked for theft by deception for allegedly skipping out on a 2016 concert.
The case came up again after his ICE arrest, because the concert promoter, Karen Smith, decided to go after him for the $17k she says he made off with when he bailed on the show.
Smith says 21 demanded he be allowed to carry a gun onstage -- which she caved to -- but says he bounced when he got annoyed about the opening act, who was a local rapper.
A warrant for 21 Savage's arrest had been sitting for at least 2 years, and he surrendered last week at the Liberty County Sheriff's Department.
Considering he'd just been released from an ICE facility on bond, it's no surprise he didn't look pleased in the mug. He was booked and released within half an hour.