Arrests

Red Cafe got hit with something way more than a late charge for not returning a rental car on time -- he got arrested, and now could be facing serious jail time.

The Brooklyn rapper was busted last week for vehicle theft after Beverly Hills PD learned of a stolen car -- a 2018 Chevy Impala rental -- parked on the street. According to law enforcement ... officers saw Red Cafe get in the car and start to drive away. He did not get far ... they quickly pulled him over and took him into custody.

Red was booked on a felony count of unlawful taking/driving of a vehicle -- and released on a $25,000 bond. The rapper's scheduled to appear in court next month.

In hindsight ... the "God Wanted Us To Be Lit" rapper probably would have been better off just booking a long-term rental. Live and learn, right?

Machine Gun Kelly's goons ganged up on a guy, and beat the hell outta him -- on video -- and now the victim's suing the rapper, claiming he ordered the attack.

We broke the story ... Gabriel "G-Rod" Rodriguez confronted MGK back in September at an Atlanta restaurant and called him a "p***y" because he was pissed about Kelly's beef with Eminem.

Later in the evening at a Hampton Inn, video footage shows G-Rod getting jumped and viciously body slammed, kicked and punched by a bunch of dudes allegedly in MGK's crew. At least 3 of the individuals were ID'd and charged with misdemeanor battery, but cops said MGK was in the clear because he wasn't a part of it.

G-Rod's not letting him get off that easy, though ... and filed suit against the rapper and the 3 other dudes in his crew for battery. According to the docs ... Rodriguez claims Kelly instructed the bodyguards to attack him, and he's suffered serious injuries and medical expenses.

G-Rod's also suing the hotel for negligence in the incident.

As we told you, G-Rod's attorney, Blake Dolman, threatened to pursue legal action if MGK didn't cut his client a check. Guess that never happened.

Dolman tells us ... "Mr. Rodriguez looks forward to his day in court and holding those responsible for this vicious and cowardly attack fully responsible for their actions."

Brian France -- the former CEO of NASCAR -- just pled guilty to misdemeanor drunk driving stemming from an August 2018 arrest in the Hamptons ... TMZ Sports has learned.

France, 56, was pulled over on August 5, 2018 in Sag Harbor, NY -- and during the stop, cops say he bombed a field sobriety test and later blew a .18 on the breathalyzer ... more than twice the legal limit.

According to the police report, cops say they also found oxycodone pain pills. To make matters worse, we're told France name-dropped President Trump during the arrest in an effort to skate on the charges.

Now, the Suffolk County District Attorney's Office says France has pled guilty to one count of misdemeanor DUI and in exchange, he got 100 hours of community service and must complete an alcohol education course before June 5, 2020.

If he completes the terms of his plea deal, prosecutors will allow France to withdraw his guilty plea and reduce the charge to a traffic violation.

France was originally charged with misdemeanor criminal possession of a controlled substance, aggravated DWI and DWI, and was facing up to a year in jail for each charge.

France was the CEO of NASCAR at the time of the arrest -- a role he held for 15 years -- but took a leave of absence following the incident and later stepped down. Brian's uncle, Jim France, is currently serving as Chairman and CEO of NASCAR.

El Chapo wants to feel the sunshine during the day and some peace and quiet at night -- but a judge is shooting him down at every turn ... 'cause it's just too damn risky.

The former Mexican cartel kingpin recently filed a motion requesting at least 2 hours of outdoors recreation time per week while he's held in custody at a federal prison in New York, plus access to the general pop commissary so he can buy goodies.

Chapo was also looking to get access to some earplugs so he could sleep easy at night and get rid of ear pain he says he's been experiencing in the joint.

Well, a judge didn't bite on any of it, and his reasoning is pretty damning. First, the court says Chapo's request for outdoors time is a nonstarter (he's currently being held under strict restrictions) because the U.S. government's worried he'll try to escape again.

The judge cites his previous two escapes, and says there's no way in hell they're letting him catch some sunshine under their watch. Moreover, the judge points to the fact that Chapo has been very well-behaved while in custody ... but says that's not a reason to give him rec time. If anything, the judge says the restrictions have only helped encourage good behavior.

Translation ... you're staying inside, buddy.

Lastly, the judge says Chapo ain't getting his hands on anything from the commissary 'cause the items can be easily weaponized. He won't get any earplugs either due to a safety concern -- namely, not hearing guards during an emergency, directly or indirectly.

One of the men who was wrongfully convicted as part of the Central Park Five says karma's a bitch for ex-prosecutor Linda Fairstein, who's getting crucified on social media in the wake of a new show about the case and its aftermath.

Raymond Santana -- who was one of the teenagers arrested, prosecuted and eventually convicted in connection to the brutal 1989 rape and beating of a female jogger -- tells TMZ ... the online movement to #CancelLindaFairstein and boycott her books is warranted.

Fans have taken to Instagram and other platforms, calling for retailers like Amazon and Barnes & Noble to remove Fairstein's book collection from their shelves on the heels of Netflix's new series, "When They See Us" -- which covers the how the case was handled by Fairstein and others, as well as how it impacted Raymond and the rest of the so-called CP5.

He believes Fairstein -- who became a successful author of mysteries and children's books -- is facing her comeuppance right now, which he takes no issue with. In fact, he says it quite bluntly ... "Even if it's 30 years later, she has to pay for her crime."

Fairstein was head of the Sex Crimes Unit for the D.A.'s Office, and she reportedly got confessions from the boys under duress and pressure from police. All 5 men were eventually fully exonerated in 2002, despite having spent years behind bars.

Raymond also takes a jab at the many reporters and civilians who were quick to label them as criminals before a trial got underway, including Donald Trump ... who called for their execution in a newspaper ad that circulated quickly after the crime.

Ron Garretson was a bloody mess after crashing his car and slightly before he got arrested for DUI -- but that doesn't mean he forgot his manners with cops.

The veteran NBA referee had blood all over his hands Wednesday as a Lake Havasu City police officer responded to the scene of the car wreck. In body cam footage, you can see Garretson was on his own two feet after hitting a tree ... but he seemed far from okay.

As the officer tries asking him questions to figure out what had happened, Garretson extends his hand for a shake -- but gets turned down ... twice. Bloody hands? No thanks, dude.

Garretson tries explaining what happened, but at times comes off as somewhat scatterbrained in piecing his story together. He says "a chick" hit him as he was circling around a road divider. Check out the windshield too -- it's completely cracked ... Garretson appears to have smashed his head against the glass.

As the 911 caller noted to dispatch, Garretson came off as fairly coherent right after the accident. But, as cops investigated further and had him perform field sobriety tests ... they suspected he'd been drinking and driving. LHCPD says he admitted to having a shot and a beer beforehand.

The actress whose arrest prompted T.I. to boycott Houston's restaurants will NOT face criminal charges ... but TMZ's learned she's gonna sue.

Prosecutors in Fulton County, GA say they will not pursue a criminal case against Brittany Marie Lucio because she's completed all requirements of a pretrial intervention program. We're told the program included taking a class about civics and citizen's rights.

Brittany had initially been charged with 1 count of misdemeanor criminal trespass and 1 count of misdemeanor willful obstruction of a law enforcement officer when she was busted in Atlanta a year ago.

Cops said she and her friends ignored multiple requests to leave a Houston's restroom. One of Brittany's friends, Asia'h Epperson, refuted that account ... saying Houston's staffer gladly let them use the restroom and never asked them to leave prior to things turning violent.

Asia'h recorded the incident, which shows a security guard -- an off-duty ATL police officer -- dragging Brittany and her friends outta the joint. When the video surfaced, T.I. got involved and called for a Houston's boycott. He also posted pics showing Brittany's alleged injuries.

Brittany said the off-duty cop used excessive force and said there's zero doubt her skin color played a role in the aggressive way she was taken down. Brittany's attorney, Gerald Griggs, tells TMZ she now plans to sue.

Griggs says, "Ms. Lucio’s name has been cleared and she looks forward to pursuing a civil action against law enforcement for the damage and injuries she sustained. She would like to thank all of her supporters in this matter including [T.I.] and others that stood up for her."

Indianapolis Colts QB Chad Kelly has been suspended by the NFL for 2 games without pay stemming from his October home invasion arrest in Denver ... NFL officials say.

As we previously reported, 25-year-old Kelly was arrested on Oct. 22 after leaving a Broncos Halloween party and wandering into a random person's house in the middle of the night ... while dressed like a cowboy.

Kelly sat down next to a woman who was holding her baby -- and he was ultimately chased out of the home by a man who was smacking the QB with a vacuum cleaner tube.

Kelly was initially arrested for felony criminal trespassing -- but later struck a deal with prosecutors in which he agreed to plead guilty to a lesser charge of 2nd-degree criminal trespass -- a class 3 misdemeanor -- and in exchange, the felony trespass charge was dropped.

As part of the deal, Kelly was also sentenced to 1 year of supervised probation, 50 hours of community service, and fines and fees.

Despite the legal issues, Kelly was recently signed to a contract with the Colts -- though if he eventually makes it to the regular season roster, he won't be able to play in the first 2 games of the season.

Cardi B's strip club beatdown case just got way more serious for her -- potentially, anyway -- because of a grand jury ... a sign prosecutors want her to face stiffer charges.

The rapper was decked out in pink as she arrived Friday at the courthouse in Queens. Inside the court, the judge revealed Cardi's case is now being heard by a grand jury. That's a big deal because she was only facing misdemeanors -- for assault and reckless endangerment -- but with a grand jury on the case, the charges could be upgraded.

Prosecutors tell TMZ ... they decided to present the case to a grand jury after "further investigation." They would not say what was uncovered during the investigation.

As we've reported, Cardi's accused of ordering an attack on sisters Jade and Baddie Gi last August. The women were bartenders at a strip club, and say they were attacked by Cardi's people because Cardi thought Jade had slept with Offset.

As we reported ... prosecutors offered Cardi a plea deal in April, but she swiftly shut it down. The offer was to plead guilty to a single misdemeanor. She would have dodged jail time, but agree to a conditional discharge and avoid trouble for some period of time. She wasn't having it.

Cardi was arrested and booked in October for her alleged role in the strip club incident.

Tommie Lee might want to send her judge a Christmas card this year, because despite facing up to 54 years ... she won't spend a day in prison, IF she stays out of trouble ... for the next decade.

The 'Love & Hip Hop' star was sentenced Friday in her child abuse case after pleading guilty to 5 charges -- including first-degree cruelty to children. The judge gave her 10 years, but none of them will be served in prison. Instead, Tommie's been ordered to complete a residential recovery program and 12 months of successful aftercare with licensed doctors.

If she does that, she'll remain on probation for the rest of the sentence -- that's the good news for her. The difficult part is ... that's a long time to keep her nose clean, and any slipup could mean immediate prison time.

Under her probation conditions, Tommie can't have violent contact with a child, can't travel outside the state of Georgia without written approval and can't attend work or promo events where drugs or alcohol are present. That part could make 'L&HH' shoots difficult.

She'll also have an 11 PM curfew, pay a $1,000 fine and submit to random drug and alcohol testing. We're told she's already out of custody and in the recovery program.

We broke the story ... Lee requested entry into the court's mental health program following her arrest and indictment on child abuse charges for assaulting her middle school-aged daughter. A judge denied her, but it seems Tommie's going to get help after all.

YNW Melly thinks it's unfair he's stuck in a jail cell awaiting trial for double murder, because he voluntarily turned himself in ... and he insists he's not going to run from the law.

According to new legal docs ... the rapper wants to be able to post bond and walk free until his trial -- despite the fact he's facing 2 counts of first-degree murder in South Florida. Melly says if he was going to go on the lam, he would have done so when he first got word he was facing capital murder charges.

Instead, the rapper says he chose to surrender ... so there's no reason for the court to think he's a flight risk. On top of that, YNW points out he was born and raised in the area and his entire family lives there -- which he says is even more proof he isn't going anywhere.

As for his actual case -- in which the rapper's accused of killing his friends and staging a fake drive-by shooting -- Melly seems to like his chances in court. In the docs, he says there's no murder weapon, no witnesses tying him to the shooting, no DNA evidence implicating him and no motive.

We broke the story ... the State of Florida disagrees with Melly, and is seeking the death penalty.

Mama June is on a dark path heading toward looming death ... so frets Honey Boo Boo, who's desperately urging her mom to seek help for what looks like a severe crack cocaine addiction.

Mama June's family and friends are scared to death ... her life's in danger, and they confronted her during an intervention ... with Honey Boo Boo begging Mama to go to rehab, asking her if she values her life enough to get clean so she can watch her grandchild grow up.

We've got a clip from the finale of Mama June's 'Not to Hot' Friday night at 9 on WE tv -- and you see her, busted teeth and all, getting super defensive as her loved ones plead with her to turn her life around.

As we first showed you ... Mama looks like a shell of herself since she got busted for crack cocaine possession back in March with boyfriend Geno Doak. Mama's teeth are falling apart, and she collapses on camera during the dramatic family intervention.

We're told Geno wasn't present for the intervention ... which is interesting, because Mama's daughter, Pumpkin, insinuates he's cheating on her when she's not around.

Ron Garretson -- a longtime NBA referee -- was arrested for DUI in Arizona on Wednesday after officials say he crashed into a tree near the Lake Havasu City Police Dept. Station.

Cops responded to calls about a man who slammed an orange Jeep Wrangler into a tree around 6:30 PM -- and when officers arrived at the scene, 60-year-old Garretson was covered in blood.

According to the police report, Garretson initially claimed someone had hit his car -- but cops say the story didn't make sense. Cops also say he reeked of booze and Garretson admitted to having a beer and a shot at a nearby cigar bar before getting behind the wheel.

Cops also say Garretson made it a point to say he's an NBA ref -- and insisted he's in great shape.

Despite that, Garretson bombed field sobriety tests -- and blew a .19 on the breathalyzer, more than TWICE the legal limit. He was arrested at the scene and hauled to a nearby station where he was booked for extreme DUI.

Garretson has been working in the NBA for 32 seasons -- working more than 1,900 regular season games.

Kodak Black is gonna have to make himself at home in a Florida jail cell, 'cause he's gonna be there at least until September ... according to the judge in the federal case.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... the judge ruled Wednesday, saying Kodak must remain behind bars until his trial gets underway.

You'll recall, Kodak requested to be let out on bail -- but under strict supervision -- so he could travel to South Carolina and deal with a sexual assault case. The feds, however, said he's too dangerous to be let out at all before trial.

Looks like the judge agreed with prosecutors. The Dept. of Justice says the court deemed the rapper to be a danger to the community. Kodak is scheduled to go on trial in Miami for lying on federal gun applications.

Prosecutors are also linking him to a March shooting, in which firearms he allegedly purchased through those applications were used.

Jameel Cook -- a former Super Bowl champ with the Bucs -- was just convicted of stealing over $100k from an NFL player trust fund ... and prosecutors raked him over the coals afterward!!!

"He stole from the very fund his fellow former players depend on for help," Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg said ... "And he has now fallen from professional football glory to the ranks of felons."

As we previously reported ... the ex-Tampa Bay FB was busted back in September after officials say he stole money from the Gene Upshaw NFL Player Plan -- a fund set up to benefit ex-players.

Cook's scheme -- according to prosecutors -- involved him filing 30 bogus claims between March 2016 and September 2017 ... resulting in the 40-year-old illegally obtaining $105,000.

Prosecutors hit Jameel with a felony stealing charge -- and he faced up to 10 YEARS behind bars for the crime.

But, Cook cut a deal this week ... and in exchange for a guilty plea -- he will NOT have to go to prison.

Instead, Jameel got 10 years of probation ... and he was ordered to pay back the $105,000. He was also sentenced to 160 hours of community service and was hit with another $1,200 fine.

Oh, and in addition to getting ripped by Ogg ... Special Assistant District Attorney Jason Horn also threw some major shade on the ex-NFL player!!!

“He earned fame and great accolades in a career most could only dream of, and should have been role model,” Horn said ...

“Instead, he let down everyone around him by defrauding a plan set up for all players and taking money that wasn’t his.”

Ashton Kutcher took the stand Wednesday in a murder case, and his testimony could be crucial in the case of a man prosecutors call a "serial sexual-thrill killer."

Kutcher was in an L.A. courthouse testifying in the trial of Michael Gargiulo -- aka the "Hollywood Ripper" -- who's accused of attacking 4 women with a knife and killing 3 of them over the span of 15 years.

Among them is Ashley Ellerin, a friend of Kutcher's who was supposed to be his date to a Grammys after-party in February 2001 but never showed. Kutcher reportedly went to her house to check on her but she didn't answer, so he left.

Ashton testified that he had met Ashley through a friend and he had gone to her house a few weeks before the Grammys to a housewarming party for her. He characterized his relationship with her as "an acquaintance," although he did say he had some interest in her.

Kutcher said the night of the Grammys was the first time he had thought he might pursue her in a dating relationship. He told the jury at around 7:30 PM he called her to say he was going to a friend's house to watch the show and then come to her home.

He said at 8:24 PM they talked and she said she had just gotten out of the shower and was going to blow dry her hair and they would meet up later and maybe go out to dinner. He called her at around 10 PM and believed he left a message saying it was getting late so they would not have dinner but just drinks.

Ashton says he went home, walked his dog and went to her place at around 10:45 PM. He knocked on her door but no one answered. He looked through a side window and saw what he thought was red wine spilled on the floor. So, he left.

The next morning Ashley was found dead in her home outside her bathroom, with more than 47 stab wounds, and authorities say Gargiulo was the murderer.

Ashton appeared in court wearing a blue suit and appeared relaxed on the stand.

The alleged serial killer is also accused of killing his 18-year-old neighbor, Tricia Pacaccio, back in 1993 when he lived in Illinois. Gargiulo moved to L.A. in 1998, but authorities say the killing didn't stop.

He's accused in Ellerin's death in 2001 and the 2005 murder of his neighbor, Maria Bruno, who was stabbed 17 times.

Gargiulo allegedly attacked another neighbor, Michelle Murphy, in her Santa Monica home in 2008, but she managed to fight off the attack and call 911. Blood matching Gargiulo's DNA was found at the scene.