Crime & Arrests

The husband of country music singer Sara Evans won't spend any time behind bars in his domestic violence case ... TMZ has learned.

The Nashville DA's Office tells us ... Jay Barker, a former Univ. of Alabama quarterback, ended up agreeing to a "best interest plea" in which he pled down from felony aggravated assault with a deadly weapon to misdemeanor reckless endangerment.

As we reported, Jay was arrested back in January for allegedly trying to slam his car into the car in which Sara was riding.

Cops say Sara told them she was in the passenger seat of a friend's car, leaving a party when she saw Jay gunning his car in reverse, trying to hit them.

Sara and her friend got lucky, though ... cops say Jay missed his alleged target.

Court docs show Jay was put on a year of probation as part of his plea deal ... and we're told he has to keep his nose clean, forfeit all weapons and complete a 26-week batterers intervention program.

Ketanji Brown Jackson is taking no chances on the heels of an alleged threat on another Supreme Court Justice's life ... because her dinner reservation includes security guards.

We got Justice Jackson ducking out of her SUV and darting into District ChopHouse & Brewery in Washington D.C. for dinner Wednesday ... and as you can see, there's a lot of muscle watching over her.

KBJ wastes no time walking into the restaurant ... and there are at least 4 Secret Service agents flanking the newest member of SCOTUS.

We should say, it's not totally unusual to see a member of SCOTUS with security, but Justice Jackson seemed to have a crew that was intentionally very visible.

It's the first Justice we've seen in public since a man was arrested outside Justice Brett Kavanaugh's home earlier Wednesday and charged with attempted murder ... and the security presence for Jackson is an indication SCOTUS is taking the threat seriously, on top of an incoming abortion rights ruling that's expected to be super controversial.

Prosecutors say 26-year-old Nicholas Roske was carrying a gun and had traveled all the way from California to kill Kavanaugh after finding the Justice's address online.

R. Kelly needs to be locked up for more than a quarter century ... according to federal prosecutors, and that's just for the one case for which he's been convicted.

Federal prosecutors out of the Eastern District of NY -- who won a conviction against Kelly last September -- just filed their recommendation for his sentencing, and they believe there's more than enough reason to send him away for "in excess of 25 years."

In the docs, obtained by TMZ, the feds say Kelly's particularly menacing because of his history of enticing minors. Prosecutors hold up the case of his relationship with Aaliyah as a prime example, saying he "began to sexually abuse her when she was just 12 or 13 years old." As they laid out in the trial, Kelly went on to marry her in an attempt to cover up that abuse and dodge criminal charges.

Other reasons prosecutors want the judge to throw the book at Kelly include his recordings of child pornography ... and the "physical and psychological" abuse of women. Of course, much of that was detailed in the "Surviving R. Kelly" documentary -- things like Kelly making women call him "Daddy," violent spankings if they disobeyed his rules, and prolonged isolation as punishment.

They also say Kelly knew he had genital herpes in 2004, but continued to have sex with women without telling them.

The feds are particularly concerned because they say Kelly continued doing all of these heinous acts even after he'd been arrested and gone on trial in 2008.

And there's this ... as we all know, R. Kelly has an impressive catalog of hits, and prosecutors say that led him to believe "his musical talent absolved him of any need to conform his conduct -- no matter how predatory, harmful, humiliating or abusive to others -- to the strictures of the law."

Add it all up, and the feds say that's why they're recommending the judge put Kelly behind bars at least until he's well into his 70s. He's currently 55, and sentencing is scheduled for June 29.

Simone Biles and nearly 100 other women are going after the FBI ... seeking $1 billion from the org. after it allegedly mishandled its investigation into the sexual abuse allegations against Larry Nassar.

Attorneys representing the Olympic gold medalist -- as well as gymnastics stars Aly Raisman, McKayla Maroney, and approximately 90 other women -- announced Wednesday morning their intentions to file lawsuits against the FBI.

According to the women and their lawyers, if FBI agents had properly intervened when they were first alerted to Nassar's behavior in 2015, they could have prevented him from targeting more women. The women are now seeking damages that'll exceed $1 billion.

"My fellow survivors and I were betrayed by every institution that was supposed to protect us -- the US Olympic Committee, USA Gymnastics, the FBI and now the Department of Justice," Maroney said in a statement.

"I had some hope that they would keep their word and hold the FBI accountable after we poured out our hearts to the US Senate Judiciary Committee and begged for justice. It is clear that the only path to justice and healing is through the legal process."

Nassar, who was eventually arrested over the allegations in 2016 and pled guilty in 2017, was ultimately sentenced to decades behind bars for his crimes.

In December, Biles and the other survivors reached a $380 million agreement to settle the lawsuits they had against the USA Olympic Committee and USA Gymnastics.

John Manly, the gymnasts' attorney, said at the time the settlement was the result of bravery ... commending the women for refusing to stay silent.

DDG may not be moonwalking in Calabasas for a while ... we've learned he got hauled off to jail for gun possession, but the arrest started with an alleged joyride.

Law enforcement sources tell us LAPD pulled over the 24-year-old rapper and YouTuber Monday for reckless driving. We're told he was cruising in a Lamborghini at the time.

Cops ended up searching the vehicle and say they found a gun, leading to his arrest for felony possession of a concealed weapon.

DDG -- who's dating singer/actress Halle Bailey -- is currently being held on $35,000 bond in Valley Jail. As of now, it's unclear if they'll ticket him for reckless driving or submit the incident with the gun charge.

We’ve reached out to DDG’s reps … we’ll let you know what we hear back.

Popular Atlanta rapper Trouble was murdered over the weekend ... prompting his accused killer Jamichael Jones to turn himself in after his own mother talked him into it.

Rockdale County Sheriff's Officers say they connected with Jones on the phone and they set up an arrest point in the parking lot of Clayton County hospital. The 33-year-old was denied bond and faces charges of murder, aggravated assault and home invasion.

Trouble, whose real name is Mariel Semonte Orr, was found at the Lake St. James Apartments Sunday morning suffering from a gunshot wound -- he was then transported to the hospital where he died.

According to investigators, Trouble was visiting a woman at the Conyers apartment complex when he was shot once in the chest. Police are describing it as a "domestic situation," as Trouble and Jones did not know one another but the woman and Jones have prior history.

Trouble was a beloved, standout figure in the hip hop community, stemming from his 2011 debut mixtape "December 17th" and his outspoken presence on social media that often offered jewels of wisdom.

Upon his death, he was mourned by dozens of fellow rappers including Gucci Mane, T.I., Boosie Badazz and Drake, who he collaborated with in 2018 when he signed to Mike WiLL Made-It's "EarDrummers" label imprint.

Trouble was 34.

Cordell Crockett, the bass player for the rock band Ugly Kid Joe, says he was just trying to move when he got arrested for a felony ... cops say he was behind the wheel of a stolen rental van.

According to the Burbank Police Department, Cordell was arrested May 11 and booked for felony possession of a stolen vehicle. We're told cops pulled him over for driving a car that was reported stolen.

Police say Cordell told officers he borrowed a van from a friend to move items into a storage facility ... but cops say the van was a rental from Home Depot that had been reported stolen after it wasn't returned as scheduled.

Cops say Cordell told them he didn't know the van was stolen ... and he wasn't the one who rented it.

And, there's this ... we're told Cordell was also booked on an outstanding arrest warrant stemming from a ticket he got for allegedly driving on a suspended license.

Police tell us Cordell is no longer in custody ... he's been released, and next month he's due in court.

Doc Antle has been mixed up with some shady business dealings involving huge sums of cash that crossed over into illegal territory -- at least according to federal prosecutors.

The 'Tiger King' star's federal indictment was unsealed Monday -- this after he was arrested by the FBI last week in South Carolina -- and his charges are spelled out clear as day. He's facing 2 money laundering counts ... and is accused of having laundered upwards of $500k with an employee/business partner of his who was in on the alleged plot.

Per the docs -- obtained by TMZ -- Doc and this employee, Andrew Sawyer, were soliciting people as early as 2019 to help launder money through a check-writing scheme in which they'd get cash upfront and write a check back to the person ... minus a fee for helping clean the money.

The feds allege Doc and Sawyer had a 15% washing fee ... and that the guys laundered around $505,000 between February and April of 2022. The FBI says they had 2 undercover informants working the case -- and claim to have tons of incriminating audio recordings and tapes of both men.

We'd already been told his bust had to do with alleged money laundering, but now we're getting the full breadth of the case -- and it's pretty insane. They make Doc sound like a regular white collar crook ... albeit one who lives in a lot of greenery.

As you know, Doc runs a wildlife preserve down in Myrtle Beach ... where he houses a ton of different animals in a zoo-like environment. Unfortunately for him, the operation there has also been the subject of much scrutiny since he was put on the map via 'Tiger King.'

In fact, Doc had previously faced criminal charges on the state level for alleged wrongdoing at the Myrtle Beach Safari -- Virginia's AG hit with an indictment of their own, alleging he was trafficking lion cubs across state lines ... which Doc denied at the time.

He's also gotten heat from PETA for letting celeb guests swing by and interact with the animals on a very personal level. Still, PETA never had any real power to make him change his practices.

Doc's due to show up in court on Monday to hear the charges against him -- although, it's unclear if he's going to enter a plea or not. The first count carries a max sentence of up to 20 years in prison.

Adrien Broner is putting all his fake supporters on notice ... callin' them out for going MIA on him -- and vowing to be a champion again soon enough.

The 32-year-old welterweight made the guarantee in a lengthy post on his social media page Monday morning ... saying he's been "working my ass off alone" the past two and a half months in order to start the journey back to the top.

In the post, Broner -- who's slated to return to the ring on July 23 -- called out everyone who used to be in his corner while he was a rising star in the sport ... saying he's fine with training alone now, as long as everyone keeps "the same energy when I’m back CHAMPION!!!!!!!"

"I see a lot of people left me and think I won’t be champion again," Broner said. "Now it’s just me @coachmikestafford and @vithecutman and I wanna keep it this way ain’t no hard feelings to nobody."

"Some of the closest people switched up on me and I’m fine with they decision," Broner added, "cause I know I'm a hustla I started this S*** alone and I’m go finish this s*** alone."

Broner will take on Omar Figueroa (28-2-1) in Chicago in the July matchup ... and it's slated to be his first fight since his controversial win against Jovanie Santiago in February 2021.

Broner has had a rocky road since the victory -- he was famously arrested in October.

Benny The Butcher is doing his part in helping his Buffalo hometown move forward after a white supremacist gunman murdered 10 people at the local Tops Friendly Market grocery store in May.

Benny and his Black Soprano Family team linked with designers Kat & Nolan Cartwright for a limited edition t-shirt drop with 100% of the profits going to the Buffalo Survivors Fund.

The shirts, which honor all 10 victims with their names, are available now, retail for $40, and only 200 of them were made.

To further emphasize the moment, he also released the new single "Welcome To the States," a political rap record (that flips Kendrick Lamar's "We Cry Together") and details racism and even gives a subtle shoutout to Young Thug and Gunna's ongoing legal drama.

The shooting dampened spirits nationwide ... but particularly hit home for the Griselda rapper, who regularly shops there with his family, as it's only a few minutes from his home.

Because of the incident, his middle-school-aged daughter has yet to return to school.

Stoney Westmoreland, famous for his work on the Disney Channel, will spend a couple years in federal lockup after prosecutors say he tried to entice a minor into sex.

The actor struck a deal in the case ... pleading guilty to a lesser charge of using interstate facilities to transmit information about a minor, and a judge gave him 24 months in prison and 10 years of supervised release.

Stoney's lawyer, Wendy Lewis, tells TMZ ... Westmoreland was originally charged with enticement of a minor over the Internet, which carried a potential 10-year prison sentence.

As we reported ... Stoney was busted in Utah back in 2018 after authorities say he arranged online to have sex with someone who was only 13 years old, allegedly communicating via an app used for dating and setting up sexual encounters.

Stoney's lawyer tells TMZ ... he was using Grindr and was actually communicating with an undercover officer posing as someone else, and the lawyer says a doctor who evaluated Stoney concluded Westmoreland thought the exchange was roleplay with an adult online and that Stoney didn't actually believe he was communicating with a 13-year-old.

As part of the plea deal, obtained by TMZ, Stoney must cooperate with DNA collection and register as a sex offender.

What's more, all of Stoney's computer devices will be subject to random search and inspection and he has to report all of the accounts he uses for electronic communications and storage, including email and social media.

Kids are now in the (illegal) business of carrying out armed robberies -- at least according to cops in Michigan, backed by surveillance video that seems to show the smoking gun.

A 12-year-old was arrested this week out in Hartford, MI after local authorities allege he carried out a gas station stickup job on Wednesday ... all while firing off a warning shot inside the establishment to make sure everyone knew he meant business.

The horrifying moment was caught on tape, and it's about as dramatic as it sounds. The boy casually approaches the gas station clerk with a bag in one hand, and a gun in the other.

He demands that she throw whatever dough was in their register into the sack, and when the woman asks if he's serious ... he aims up at the ceiling and pulls the trigger, letting one go and freaking the lady out. She quickly does what he wants and hands him the stash.

The preteen accepts it and walks out ... as if nothing had happened. It wasn't long though before he was picked up by the police and charged with multiple felony counts -- including armed robbery, assault with a dangerous weapon, and discharge of a firearm, among others.

Josh Duggar is serving a 12-year prison sentence for child pornography, but we've now learned more about what his life will be like once he's released, with 20 years of supervision.

According to legal docs, obtained by TMZ, Duggar is not to have any unsupervised contact with minors, including his own kids. If he does want to see his kids, the visit must be supervised by his wife, his parents or another adult approved by the U.S. Probation Office.

There's also a condition that states Duggar can't access or view porn of any kind, including adult porn.

What's more, he's banned from using the Internet without prior approval from his probation officer.

Of course, he'll also have to follow the more standard supervised release conditions -- including sex therapy -- and will have to submit to lie detector testing if asked.

As we reported, the "19 Kids and Counting" star was found guilty on one count each of receiving and possessing child pornography ... but the possession charge was dropped at his sentencing.

Young Thug's lengthy day in court was all for nothing, a judge denied his bond, and the rapper will stay locked up until January 2023.

The YSL rapper and his legal team argued for his freedom Thursday in a Georgia courtroom where prosecutors argued Thug was the most dangerous member of the 28 Young Stoner Life members rounded up in the highly publicized Georgia RICO case.

Not only that, but prosecutors also tried to get YT's attorney, Brian Steel, removed from the case, saying his past associations with YSL were a "conflict of interest" ... but Steel is staying on.

During the hearing, Kevin Liles, music mogul and CEO of 300 Entertainment tearfully testified on Thug's behalf, recognizing him as an influencer and charitable person but most importantly, was willing to co-sign on his bond.

Another witness, Garfield Larmond, part of Thug's management team, testified he was in the house when Thug got arrested and there were no weapons on him.

This case is being watched closely by the hip hop community ... Chris Brown, Lil Baby, Cordae, Meek Mill, and most vocally, Metro Boomin have all called for YSL's freedom within the past few days.

As far as the rest of the case ... The Fulton County District Attorney recently claimed the YSL crew could actually be a gang with ties to 50 murders in the area.

Kim Kardashian is lending her voice to the fight in allowing the incarcerated father of one of the Uvalde shooting victims to be granted temporary release to attend his daughter's funeral.

Kim posted a photo of 10-year-old Eliahana Cruz Torres Thursday with the message, "Her family are desperately hoping that her father, who is incarcerated for a non violent drug offense, be granted temporary release so that he can attend her funeral."

So far, requests for Ellie's dad have been denied, Kim writes, "I ask the Federal Bureau of Prisons to grant Eli Torres temporary release so that he can say his last goodbye to his baby girl. Every parent deserves that right."

Kardashian joins a swelling number of people who have also pushed for Torres to be able to attend the funeral.

Torres, who is locked up in Kentucky, serving a 25-year sentence for drug trafficking, has been given the option of watching a live stream of the service ... but has expressed a desire to be there at the funeral in person.

In an interview with The Houston Chronicle, Torres said his mistakes cost him more than just his freedom, saying of the shooting, "I could have prevented this from happening, somehow, some way, as a father. … I could have stopped it somehow. Protected her."

A cop believed Rey Maualuga was so intoxicated following a car crash back in 2021 ... he told the ex-NFL star he could "smell" him "sweating the booze out" while he was placing him under arrest.

It's all in newly released bodycam footage, obtained by TMZ Sports, in which you can see Maualuga's interaction with cops after he had just crashed his white Mercedes through front yards and eventually into a parked car in a neighborhood in Crescent Springs, KY on Aug. 11, 2021.

The video revealed the aftermath of the accident was terrifying -- showing Maualuga's car was a mangled mess as it was wedged into another vehicle and a tree.

An officer can be heard in the clip asking Maualuga if he'd be willing to take field sobriety tests a few feet away from the wreckage ... but when the 34-year-old former football player declined, the cop slapped the handcuffs on him.

While he was tightening the cuffs, the cop told Rey, "I can just smell you sweating the booze out, my man."

Maualuga was apologetic throughout the arrest ... repeatedly telling officers and medical personnel on the scene that he was "sorry."

The former Cincinnati Bengals linebacker was taken to the station ... and ultimately hit with three charges over the incident -- felony first-degree wanton endangerment, felony first-degree criminal mischief, and misdemeanor DUI -- third offense.

Maualuga ended up pleading guilty to the charges last month ... and entered into a pre-trial diversion program, meaning if he keeps his nose clean for the next five years, and completes several other conditions, the charges will be dismissed.

Prosecutors told TMZ Sports Maualuga spent 120 days in jail after his arrest and completed an in-patient substance abuse program ... which they said factored into their decision to agree to give Maualuga the pre-trial diversion program.