Arrests

Former WWE star Terri Runnels will NOT go to prison after she brought a loaded gun to the airport ... TMZ Sports has learned prosecutors have dropped the case and she's now off the hook.

We broke the story, Runnels was busted at Tampa International Airport on May 29 when cops say they found a Glock 9mm handgun inside of a sock in the ex-wrestler's backpack.

In the pic of the gun obtained by TMZ Sports -- you can see there were AT LEAST 11 bullets accompanying the firearm.

But, Runnels told cops the whole thing was a genuine mistake -- saying she had forgotten to take the gun out of her bag after she went to kill an armadillo that was digging up her mom's yard.

Officials at the time clearly didn't care ... they hit her with a felony charge of carrying a concealed firearm -- and she was facing up to 5 YEARS in prison.

But, we've learned prosecutors have decided to drop the case issuing a "letter of release" dismissal.

According to court officials, it basically means the case has been dismissed ... but in theory, prosecutors could pick up the case down the road. But again, we're told the odds of that happening are extremely slim.

Runnels mainly worked as a manager during her wrestling career -- working with the likes of The Hardy Boyz, Edge, Christian and most notably her ex-husband, Goldust.

She was married to Goldust (aka Dustin Rhodes aka Dustin Runnels) from 1993 to 1999.

Runnels won the WWE Hardcore Championship back in 2002 -- she's one of only 4 women to hold that title.

Cuba Gooding Jr. says his accuser's own words show she has a "warped mental state" ... and, therefore, the D.A. should drop the charges against him for the alleged groping incident.

Cuba's attorneys, Mark Heller and Peter Toumbekis, filed a motion to dismiss that featured several quotes from the accuser discussing her mental health. Cuba's team says the quotes were taken from a blog -- and Cuba himself says he's seen enough.

He tells TMZ ... "After reading and reviewing the motion to dismiss in the interest of justice, I was deeply surprised that the prosecutors office didn’t evaluate this woman’s history before undertaking to prosecute me in light of her warped mental state as revealed by her blog."

The blog posts, allegedly from the accuser, include lines like, "I got diagnosed with depression, ADHD, Anxiety Disorder, and PTSD and basically learned that my brain was one big fat mass." Another line reads, "I am quite prideful. I must win."

And, perhaps the most damning and relative one says, "[I]n a world of extensions and fake boobs, my short haircut paired with my moderate breast size makes me feel invisible. Some people are scared of others and want nothing more than to be invisible. I am not that type of person. I am starting to be seen."

The Oscar winner's motion to dismiss, filed Friday, also leaned into what his lawyers believe are factual inconsistencies on the part of the accuser -- getting her story mixed up, different time accounts, and a lack of conclusive video evidence, as well as an alleged screwup in the way NYPD investigated the matter.

For all these reasons, Cuba and co. say the charges should be dropped and he should be fully exonerated, 'cause they feel the evidence just doesn't add up to what she's claiming.

The judge hasn't ruled on the motion to dismiss yet ... a hearing is scheduled for Wednesday, and Cuba seems optimistic.

3:45 PM PT -- TMZ has obtained the arrest report for Valerie Mason, and it sounds like no drugs were actually found on her.

According to the report, officers made a traffic stop for a car that had a busted taillight, in which Valerie was riding shotgun. When the guy who was driving couldn't provide ID, he was searched and police say they found drug paraphernalia in his pocket that is usually associated with meth.

Officers asked Valerie and another guy who was in the back seat to step out as well, and upon further investigation ... cops say they found 2 grams of suspected methamphetamine in a container in the passenger door panel. Police say they also found a hypodermic needle cap in the back seat.

Cops say all three people, including Valerie, denied ownership of the drugs found.

Valerie Mason -- a former Playboy Playmate, who was featured on "The Girls Next Door" -- was arrested for drug possession in the South ... specifically, for meth.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... Valerie was picked up by cops late Friday night in Ouachita Parish, Louisiana -- where she was transferred to the local jail and booked for possession of a controlled dangerous substance (a schedule II drug) ... which is a felony.

We're told cops found meth when they arrested her. Per jail records, Valerie is no longer in custody -- she was released the next day on a $3,000 bond.

Valerie was a Playmate of the Month back in September 2008. Her centerfold debut was documented in the E! reality series, 'GND,' as she moved into the Playboy Mansion with Holly Madison and Hugh's other girlfriends. She appeared in 5 episodes between '08 and '09.

According to Playboy, Valerie doesn't come from a modeling background. She submitted photos of herself on a whim and got recruited by Holly herself ... who invited her out to do a test shoot.

We've reached out to Valerie for comment ... so far, no word back.

"Love & Hip Hop" star Teairra Mari was arrested in New York for driving while intoxicated -- and it sounds like her vehicle was an early Fourth of July show on the road.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... cops pulled Teairra over early Saturday morning after they saw her coming out of the Midtown Tunnel into Queens in a red Dodge Charger, which we're told had sparks shooting up from the front of the vehicle.

As cops pursued, our sources say officers noticed that the front right wheel was gone and that the bumper was making contact with the ground ... creating the sparks. Eventually, we're told Teairra came to a full stop and cops performed field sobriety tests.

It's unclear if she blew into a breathalyzer, but we're told police did note she had trouble maintaining her balance when she exited the vehicle ... and that she allegedly reeked of booze. She was ultimately arrested and booked for DWI and driving without a license.

DMV records show that Teairra's license is either suspended or revoked at the moment. She's currently in custody awaiting arraignment.

Teairra made headlines last year after she sued 50 Cent and her ex-BF, claiming they'd leaked a sex tape in which she was featured, as revenge porn.

A court ultimately ruled in 50's favor -- dismissing all the claims against the rapper -- and ordered Teairra to pay him up to $30k in legal fees, which he's been hounding her for ever since.

2:10 PM PT -- According to legal docs, obtained by TMZ, cops were unable to find any DNA on the gun found in the same car YT was riding in. We're told because there were 3 people in the vehicle, investigators could not determine who the weapon belonged to, so YT will not face any charges.

The D.A.'s Office also cleared up details on the car accident that triggered the search. It was actually the police cruiser that was "unable to stop in time" before it hit Thug's Rolls-Royce.

Someone's gotta pay for what the D.A. deemed, "minor damage."

Young Thug's lawyer, Michael Goldstein, tells us, "I commend the District Attorney's Office for making the right decision after carefully reviewing the facts and body worn video over the past 9 months. The fact so much time and work went into this decision reinforces trust in our system of justice."

Young Thug will NOT be prosecuted in his L.A. gun case ... TMZ's learned the District Attorney is rejecting the case.

The D.A.'s Office tells us ... the case was rejected earlier this month due to insufficient evidence. YT's attorney, Michael Goldstein, confirmed to us the case is now closed. TMZ broke the story when cops busted Young Thug back in August -- a member of Thug's crew ran into a police car, which triggered a vehicle search. That's when cops discovered the weapons.

YT -- who was seen in handcuffs and escorted to a waiting cruiser -- was booked just after for carrying a concealed weapon in a vehicle ... a felony. The bust came on the night he was celebrating the release of his new album, "Slime Language" and his 27th birthday.

So, the arrest was quite the double whammy ... but now it's water under Thug's bridge.

Kim Kardashian definitely earned her title as Princess of Prison Reform ... using her celebrity status for good has yielded nothing but positive results, so says one of her freed prisoners.

The first prisoner released under the First Step Act -- Matthew Charles -- showered Kim with praise when we ran into him on Capitol Hill. As we reported, Kim not only helped secure his release ... she's covered the next 5 years of rent while he gets back on his feet.

Kim was front and center at The White House Thursday to unveil her latest prison reform initiative -- a rideshare partnership that allows inmates to travel to job interviews. The end game is to make them productive citizens rather than recidivists.

Kim's been a big help by writing checks so various lawyers and prison reform groups can do their thing ... and they have done their thing with success, recently freeing more than 17 inmates and counting. These are mostly inmates who are serving long terms for non-violent -- mostly drug -- offenses.

Kellen Winslow Jr. will be retried on the 8 remaining counts that weren't decided by the jury in his rape case, officials say.

Remember, the ex-NFL star was convicted of 3 of the 12 total charges, including 1 charge of felony forcible rape. He was found not guilty of 1 count of lewd conduct.

But, the jury had deadlocked on the 8 remaining charges stemming from allegations he raped 2 additional women and exposed his genitals to 2 others.

Now, prosecutors have announced they're taking another swing at the 8 remaining charges -- with a retrial set to begin later this year. Jury selection begins in Sept.

Because of his rape conviction last week ... Winslow is now facing up to 9 years in prison -- but if he's found guilty of the rest of the charges against him, he could face up to LIFE in prison.

Winslow's attorney asked the judge to release his client from custody with a GPS-tracking device -- but the judge shot that request down hard. He'll remain behind bars indefinitely.

As we previously reported, 35-year-old Winslow was arrested back in June 2018 after officials say he kidnapped and raped 2 transient women in 2 separate incidents (one in March and another in May).

A 3rd woman later stepped forward and also claimed Winslow raped her 15 years ago while she was unconscious.

Kellen was also accused of exposing himself to two other women in separate incidents over the past year as well.

Can you picture R. Kelly working the register in a red shirt and an apron at Del Taco? His ex-wife can ... if that's what it takes to dig himself out of a child support hole.

Drea Kelly and her daughter, Buku Abi -- who are both on "Growing Up Hip Hop: Atlanta" -- joined "TMZ Live" Thursday and pretty much she said she doesn't give a damn what kinda job Kelly has to land to meet his legal obligations ... so long as he once and for all wipes his debts clean.

As we first reported ... Drea asked the court for a hard and fast deadline for Kelly to pay her the $32k he owes. Kelly's camp previously insisted the money owed is interest and not back child support ... but we've learned only $11,500 of it is interest and the rest is for unpaid child support and educational expenses.

Check out the clip ... Drea suggests the fast food joint for the King of R&B.

Kelly, of course, has hired an army of lawyers for his mounting legal troubles, which can't be cheap. This is on top of back child support he's already ponied up ... to the tune of $161,633. That money, we were told, came from a benefactor. So, you can see why Drea's worried.

Kendall Jenner just got a little peace of mind -- her alleged stalker who crawled up onto her property has been kicked out of the country.

John Ford -- the 38-year-old Canadian citizen who twice showed up at Kendall's home last year -- has been deported from the U.S. following his hearing in El Paso, Texas. Good news for Kendall, because authorities feared he could get violent.

We broke the story ... Ford was arrested by ICE in New Mexico in March after the law enforcement agency hunted him down.

Jenner's alleged stalker's had an expired visitor visa and was in the country illegally, and after his arrest an ICE spokesperson told us it "very well have prevented a violent crime," adding ... "Our special agents acted quickly on this tip to ensure that this obsessive behavior didn't escalate to become a tragedy."

As we reported ... Ford scaled a hill at Kendall's home last October and ended up by her swimming pool. He came back again shortly thereafter and ended up on her porch.

Todd Chrisley's son doesn't have to sweat criminal charges from his Oklahoma drug bust, but only because he's in even bigger trouble in another state.

A rep for the Okmulgee County District Court tells TMZ ... the D.A. will not prosecute Kyle Chrisley ... who was arrested last month when cops found methamphetamine in his car. TMZ broke the story ... Kyle was pulled over for a broken headlight, but body cam footage showed the moment officers found the drugs in a cup.

Despite that evidence ... we're told the D.A.'s Office is dropping the felony drug possession charge, partly because Kyle's facing a more serious charge in Georgia for allegedly threatening his wife.

The other problem with the Oklahoma case is the cup with the drugs was in the center console of Kyle's vehicle, as opposed to on his person. We're told it would've been more difficult to prove.

Meanwhile, in Dekalb County, GA ... Kyle's estranged wife has told cops he threatened to kill her.

A judge signed off on a warrant for his arrest earlier this year after reviewing texts she says he sent, saying things like, "[N]ot before I end you."

Kyle was booked for terroristic threats and released on his own recognizance -- but not before posing for another mug shot.

Todd's had a rocky relationship with his son -- he only appeared in one season of the family's hit USA reality show, "Chrisley Knows Best."

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.