Crime & Arrests

Fred Durst almost lost thousands of dollars worth of stuff to a thief who got into his yard, but thanks in part to security cameras ... all that gear is back in his possession, and alleged crook's in custody.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... a 30-year-old man walked through a gate onto Fred's L.A. area property Friday and made his way to the backyard, where he stumbled across a Tesla charger, a violin and a few other things. Apparently, he thought the Limp Bizkit frontman was running some kinda 5-finger discount program, because cops say he jacked all of it.

We're told the stuff was valued at about $3,000.

Our sources say the guy also tried to break into the house, but wasn't able to because everything was locked. Cops say Fred wasn't home at the time, but his family was.

Cops were eventually called, and although the suspect had left by then ... he wasn't out of the woods. Cops say he was spotted later that same night, and arrested by cops thanks to video FD had of the incident.

Cain Velasquez will remain behind bars for the immediate future ... a judge just denied the UFC legend's request for bail.

In announcing her decision at a hearing in a Santa Clara County courtroom on Monday, judge Shelyna Brown said "the risk is too great" to release Velasquez from custody.

Cain -- who showed up to court in shackles and a black and orange jumpsuit -- is now expected to stay in a cell until at least his next court date, which is currently set for mid-April.

As we reported, Velasquez is facing 10 criminal charges -- including one count of felony attempted murder -- after authorities say he tried to kill Harry Goularte, who's been accused of molesting one of Cain's close relatives.

In court documents, officials say Cain rammed his truck into a car carrying Goularte and family members on Feb. 28, and then fired his gun into the vehicle. Officials say Goularte's stepdad was struck in the gunfire.

Velasquez has received support from many since his arrest -- with Ronda Rousey, Joe Rogan and UFC fighter Derek Brunson all publicly defending the MMA star.

In fact, several Cain supporters were seen outside of the courthouse on Monday, pleading with officials to release him from custody.

Bill Cosby's breathing a deep sigh of relief -- the U.S. Supreme Court is refusing to weigh in on the Pennsylvania ruling that set him free.

SCOTUS voted 4-3 Monday to leave in place the PA Supreme Court's decision from last summer ... which nullified Cosby's 2018 conviction for aggravated indecent assault of Andrea Constand.

Cosby was immediately released from the Pennsylvania prison where he'd been serving a 3 to 10-year sentence.

The PA Supreme Court ruled Cosby's right to due process had been violated, because prosecutors had ignored the deal the previous Montgomery County D.A. made to not prosecute Cosby if he sat for a deposition in Andrea's civil case.

Cosby's prosecutors asked the U.S. Supreme Court to weigh in on the decision to overturn, but the high court declined ... which means Cosby is free and clear in the criminal case.

He is still facing a lawsuit filed by Judy Huth for sexual battery.

DaBaby's legal woes are ebbing and flowing ... he's out of trouble in one matter involving a gun, but still in hot water over balls and pins.

The L.A. County D.A. has rejected the gun case against DaBaby that police have been working on since January 2021 -- when he was arrested in Bev Hills for allegedly having a weapon on him during a shopping spree.

You'll recall ... DB ended up in cuffs right there on Rodeo Drive, and was booked for carrying a loaded firearm.

In the end, the D.A. chose not to prosecute because of a lack of evidence -- which is apparent from the D.A.'s report recounting the incident.

The doc states DaBaby and co. were in a Gucci store, and a security guard says he saw DaBaby lift up his shirt. The security guard claimed he saw something in his waistband resembling a gun, prompting him to call the police.

The crew left, but weren't able to escape Rodeo Drive before a run-in with officers who searched the vehicle and did, indeed, find a gun under one of the seats. When nobody claimed ownership of the gun, cops took DB in based on what the security guard had told them. But apparently, that wasn't enough to file charges.

DaBaby's attorney, Drew Findling, tells TMZ ... "We've been 100% confident in Mr. Kirk's innocence since the day of this incident and are appreciative that the Los Angeles District Attorney's Office has made a similar determination."

Great news for DaBaby, obviously -- but he's not out of the woods ... there's still a looming case over his bowling alley scuffle with DaniLeigh's brother, which was caught on video.

Our law enforcement sources say there's a much stronger chance that case could actually get some real consideration by the D.A.'s Office, considering the evidence already out there ... and we're told a felony assault with a deadly weapon charge is very much in play.

That said ... we're told the cops are somewhat skeptical on that one too due to D.A. George Gascon. It's no secret ... Gascon isn't interested in pursuing low-level crimes in and around L.A. ... something he campaigned on. In other words.

Brittney Griner's wife is breaking her silence since news broke about the WNBA star being detained in Russia -- and her first message is one of gratitude.

Cherelle Griner hopped on IG Sunday to post a photo of herself with BG, adding a caption that read ... "Thank you to everyone who has reached out to me regarding my wife’s safe return from Russia. Your prayers and support are greatly appreciated. I love my wife wholeheartedly, so this message comes during one of the weakest moments of my life."

She adds, "I understand that many of you have grown to love BG over the years and have concerns and want details. Please honor our privacy as we continue to work on getting my wife home safely."

As you know ... Brittney is in Russian custody at the moment, and apparently has been for a good while now -- since at least February when she was busted on suspicion of a drug charge.

She's alleged to have had vape cartridges in her bag while traveling through an airport -- and the Russian authorities even released video capturing the moment they searched her stuff.

Brittney Griner, WNBA superstar and 2x Olympic gold medalist, was reportedly detained in Russia after customs officials say they found hashish oil in the hoopers luggage ... and she could now face 10 years in prison.

On Saturday, the Russian Federal Customs Service announced they'd detained an American basketball player back in February after finding vape cartridges in her bags while traveling through Sheremetyevo airport -- about 20 miles from Moscow.

Russian customs didn't identify the person taken into custody, but TASS, a Russian news agency, citing sources, ID'd the player as Griner, center for the Phoenix Mercury.

Customs released surveillance video on Saturday appearing to show Griner, wearing a mask, going through airport security. The clip shows what appears to be a security official removing a package from the traveler's bag.

According to a statement from Russian Customs, the traveler was flying from New York to Russia. At some point, they claim a drug dog alerted to her carry-on bag. Soon after they claim they found the vapes.

The statement says Russian officials have opened up a drug trafficking investigation ... a charge that could carry a five to ten-year prison sentence, if convicted.

Lindsay Kagawa Colas, Brittney's agent, issued the following statement.

"We are aware of the situation with Brittney Griner in Russia and are in close contact with her, her legal representation in Russia, her family, her teams, and the WNBA and NBA."

Colas continued ... "As this is an ongoing legal matter, we are not able to comment further on the specifics of her case but can confirm that as we work to get her home, her mental and physical health remain our primary concern."

The WNBA also released a statement pledging their support for Griner, saying their main objective was to return her to the USA as soon as possible.

31-year-old Griner, the 1st overall pick in the 2014 WNBA Draft, is one of the best players in the league. Brittney is a 7x All-Star, 2x Scoring Champ, 2x WNBA Defensive Player of the Year, and a WNBA champion.

Despite her accolades, Griner and other WNBA players routinely hoop in Russia ... as women can earn significantly more money than what the WNBA pays.

Griner is no stranger to the country. She's won four championships with the Russian Euroleague team, UMMC Ekaterinburg.

It's not publicly known where, or if, Griner is being held ... as the detainment allegedly occurred in February.

It's a perilous time for an American to be held in Russia. Relations between the two countries are incredibly strained, as Vladimir Putin's military invaded and attacked Ukraine, and the west responded with harsh sanctions, dealing a significant blow to Russia's economy.

Sherri Papini made national headlines 5 years ago when she was reportedly kidnapped ... well now there's been an arrest -- no, the kidnappers weren't busted ... Sherri was.

The California mom was arrested Thursday night for staging her own disappearance. On top of that, she was charged with fraudulently obtaining tens of thousands of dollars in victim's assistance funds.

Papini was reported missing in early November 2016 and was later found on Thanksgiving day about 150 miles away from her home. She told law enforcement that she was abducted and held at gunpoint by 2 Hispanic women. She worked with an FBI artist who came up with a sketch of the alleged kidnappers.

Well ... according to the Justice Department's criminal complaint ... the DOJ says she lied about the whole thing and was actually staying with her ex-boyfriend when she claimed she was kidnapped.

On top of that, she allegedly harmed herself to make it look authentic.

In 2020, she doubled down on her story when she was interviewed by the feds ... although she was told that there was evidence to show that her story was a big fat lie.

Papini ended up racking up $30K in victim assistance from the California Victim's Compensation Board from 2017 to 2021 ... which included payments for therapy.

If convicted, she faces a maximum of a quarter-century behind bars.

Harvey Weinstein was caught red-handed once again ... this time with a box of Milk Duds!

Law enforcement tells TMZ ... the contraband in question was discovered by L.A. County jail guards back in November -- after a meeting with attorney Shawn Burkley.

While it's unclear how the Duds made their way to him, Weinstein claimed he brought the chocolates with him when he was extradited from New York back in July. Apparently, jail officials think one of his lawyers may have slipped him the Duds.

Weinstein's rep Juda Engelmayer gave us a statement from Weinstein ... "This was an innocent misunderstanding. It will not happen again. I have been a model inmate, following the rules and regulations and I am sincerely sorry.”

HW's attorney Mark Werksman tells TMZ ... the judge took no action against Weinstein -- nor did the jail. Mark, Shawn, and his other lawyers are still visiting him ... with the same cursory checks in effect.

Weinstein is currently being held at the Correctional Treatment Center -- a medical unit within the Twin Towers jail in downtown Los Angeles ... as he currently awaits trial. He's serving a 23-year sentence in New York.

Shanna Moakler's traumatic week is taking a huge turn -- she just announced she's pregnant with her 4th child, days after her boyfriend Matthew Rondeau was arrested for allegedly hitting her.

Shanna says she took a pregnancy test that came up positive, and it's clear she's shocked by the news. In a statement, she said, "This has been a very difficult week, but I'm taking everything day by day."

As we reported, Rondeau was arrested for felony domestic violence last week.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ Shanna and Matthew got in a heated argument last Wednesday night ... Shanna left home but returned Thursday morning where the arguing continued and allegedly got physical.

We're told cops were called, and Shanna had visible marks on her body ... prompting officers to arrest and book Rondeau for felony domestic violence.

Rondeau posted an aggressive video on her social media before his arrest, claiming Shanna cheated on him and swearing he'd never get back with her.

Cindy Crawford has a stalker who flew thousands of miles to see her about a phantom child he says they share together ... so say cops who arrested the guy.

It's a crazy story ... a man from the UK flew to Cali and ended up on Cindy's doorstep Sunday ... to talk to her about "the kid" he said they had together.

We're told that he made his way onto the property and started banging on the door and windows ... all to get Cindy's attention.

Cindy was not home at the time ... instead, the man was greeted by cops -- who had been called there by security.

He tried explaining the purpose of his mission to cops, but it fell on deaf ears. The man was arrested and booked for felony stalking.

Jonathan Rhys Meyers has cut a deal in his DUI case ... and he's going to get the same treatment as an average Joe -- no jail time, as long as he keeps his nose clean.

According to new legal docs obtained by TMZ ... the actor copped a plea deal and was sentenced to 1-year summary probation. He'll pay a $500 fine and must complete an alcohol ed and counseling program.

TMZ broke the story ... Jonathan was arrested for misdemeanor DUI back in November 2020, after cops said he crashed his car in Malibu.

JRM was eventually hit with 3 charges — 2 DUI-related charges and 1 for reckless driving. As part of the deal, he ended up pleading no contest to the reckless driving charge, and the other two charges were dropped.

Jonathan's struggled with substance abuse problems over the years, going to rehab several times.

Jaxson Hayes faced a judge in L.A. stemming from his July arrest on Thursday ... and the Pelicans center entered a no contest plea for a resisting arrest and false imprisonment charge, TMZ Sports has learned.

The 21-year-old former Texas star was facing 10 other charges ... but the judge dismissed them.

Hayes was arrested on July 28 after LAPD responded to a reported domestic incident at a home where Hayes was staying. When officers arrived, cops say Hayes refused to allow them inside ... and a scuffle ensued.

At least one police officer sustained an injury during the struggle.

While cops were fighting with the 6'10" player -- who was tased during the scuffle -- Hayes was heard telling officers he couldn't breathe (LAPD is currently conducting a "use of force" investigation to determine if appropriate force was used).

Although Hayes did not plead guilty, a no contest plea would still end up with a conviction on his record.

Each of the two charges carries up to 364 days in jail, a fine or both.

The former police officers who stood by as George Floyd was being murdered by Derek Chauvin were just found guilty on all charges by a jury of their peers in their federal case.

Tou Thao, J. Alexander Kueng and Thomas Lane were convicted after a 12-person panel rendered their verdict following less than 2 full days of deliberations ... this after nearly a month-long trial.

The ex-cops were found guilty of all charges against them -- all 3 were facing a count of deprivation of rights under color of the law for failing to render medical aid to Floyd ... and Thao and Kueng were, additionally, hit with charges for failing to intervene in Chauvin's use of unreasonable force.

You might recall ... Lane was seen on camera at least trying to speak up about what was going on, asking if they should roll Floyd over -- only to be overruled by Chauvin.

As you know, Chauvin was convicted of murder last year ... and has since copped a plea on the federal charges he was also facing. Thao, Kueng and Lane aren't out of the woods yet either, BTW ... they have a state criminal trial later this year.

For this case, though ... Thao, Kueng, and Lane argued that they were deferring to Chauvin's seniority and experience in the situation ... and that they didn't intend for Floyd to die under the circumstances.

Kueng and Lane also tried to explain their behavior by pointing out how new they were to the Minneapolis PD force at that point -- each of them was just days into the job when the incident occurred in May 2020.

You'll recall ... Chauvin, Lane and Kueng held Floyd down -- with Chauvin pinning him at his neck. Thao was on crowd control behind the police vehicle.

As for what's on the table sentence-wise ... the men are facing the possibility of several years or even life in prison. The death penalty is technically possible given the charges, but prosecutors have given no indication they would seek it.

Shanna Moakler's boyfriend, Matthew Rondeau, has been arrested for felony domestic violence on the heels of a disturbing video in which he accused her of cheating and said their relationship was over.

Law enforcement sources tell us Shanna and Matthew got in a fight Wednesday night at their home after he accused her of cheating. Our sources say Shanna left the home, but returned Thursday morning where the fighting continued and allegedly became physical.

We're told cops were called, and Shanna had visible marks on her body ... Rondeau was arrested for felony domestic violence.

Moakler was just a contestant on "Celebrity Big Brother" -- the show's finale was Wednesday night.

In a video posted to Moakler's Instagram page Thursday, an irate Rondeau -- who was recording himself -- accused Moakler of cheating on him and called her a fake person. Rondeau said he and Moakler were finished as a couple and he'd never speak to her again.

"Baywatch" actress Alexandra Daddario had the scare of her life Saturday ... when an irate man with a loaded gun went to her home and went off screaming something about her.

LAPD cops rushed to the scene and found the guy standing outside Alexandra's house. They told him to leave but he refused.

As police detained him they searched the man's car and found a loaded handgun. He was arrested for possession of a concealed firearm.

It's unclear if Alexandra, who has also appeared in "Texas Chainsaw Massacre," "Percy Jackson & The Olympians," "The White Lotus" and "San Andreas," was home at the time. We also don't know if her fiancé, producer Andrew Form, was home. They got engaged in December.

Alexandra is active on social media, with more than 21 million IG followers, so she's high profile on various media platforms.

Spare D.L. Hughley the outrage over Kim Potter getting a 2-year sentence for killing Daunte Wright -- he says America's judicial system consistently lets cops off lightly, while ordinary Joes get the max.

We got the comedian and author at LAX Friday ... just a few hours after ex-officer Potter was sentenced for first and second-degree manslaughter. She could have gotten up to 15 years in prison, but D.L. says that almost never happens because, "There's a certain amount of accountability they refuse to ascribe to police officers."

Potter, who tearfully begged Daunte's family for forgiveness in court, shot and killed him during an April 2021 traffic stop outside Minneapolis. Her body cam appeared to back up Potter's claim she thought she was pulling her Taser, but accidentally drew her firearm.

Check out the video – D.L. seemed totally defeated by the news of Potter's sentence. Although he accepts the killing was accidental, he still can’t understand why police officers like her end up getting such light sentences in fatal shootings.

He compares Daunte's death to the 2009 Oscar Grant killing in Oakland ... where the officer also got 2 years for manslaughter. He was released on parole after serving just 11 months.