Crime & Arrests

YNW Melly is facing a possible death penalty as he sits in prison awaiting trial for murder, but he's passing the time by producing an album behind bars.

Sources close to YNW Melly tell TMZ ... the rapper had been working on "Just a Matter of Slime" for the better part of the last 8 months. We're told he spent hours and hours on the phone ... securing collabs with other rappers like Young Thug, Future and Lil Uzi Vert. He's also spent lots of time talking to sound engineers.

Our sources say YNW recorded his verses long before he was arrested and charged with two counts of first-degree murder over the shooting deaths of 2 friends.

YNW has been locked up since February 2019 ... and while he awaits trial in Broward County, Florida -- where prosecutors are seeking the death penalty -- the rapper's been grinding.

We're told YNW has been listening to arrangements of his music and giving engineers direction on tweaking the vocals.

The rapper hopped on the phone Thursday and someone from his team recorded him from prison ... promoting his new album. We're not sure how well that's gonna go over with the warden.

As for the meaning behind the album title ... here's the story -- YNW had been unable to get a trial date for the murder case due to the COVID-19 pandemic shutting down the courts.

Taylor Swift's swanky New York City apartment building had an unwanted visitor Friday -- cops arrested a guy who'd traveled from out of town, desperately trying to find her.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... Patrick Nissen, a 28-year-old from Nebraska, was busted in the vestibule of Taylor's Tribeca apartment building and he's been charged with second-degree criminal trespassing, a misdemeanor.

Law enforcement sources tell us Taylor was not home at the time, and Nissen entered the building through an unlocked door. We're told a security officer in the building saw that Nissen didn't have permission to be in the complex and called 911. Nissen allegedly told cops he was in love with Taylor.

Cops say other men have tried to see Taylor at her Tribeca apartment, and this guy has pics of her on his Instagram page.

Our sources tell us Taylor was NOT home at the time and the guy took a bus from out of state to get to the Big Apple.

Taylor's properties are magnets for these kinds of incidents ... several men have been arrested outside her homes in Manhattan, Rhode Island and Beverly Hills.

Derrius Guice won't be seeing the NFL field anytime soon -- not only is the free agent running back without a team, but he's also now been suspended 6 games by the NFL.

Of course, the 24-year-old was arrested in August 2020 after 3 alleged violent incidents between February and April with his then-girlfriend ... when he was accused of choking and pushing her to the ground ... as well as destroying her phone.

Guice reached a settlement with the victim back in June 2021 ... and while details on the deal were not made public, a rep for the prosecutors said the "process permits the parties to control the direction and outcome of such matters."

Despite the charges being dropped, the NFL confirms the punishment is a result of the 2020 incidents.

Guice was a 2nd-round pick in the 2018 NFL Draft -- he didn't play a single down of football until 2019 due to injury ... and has only played 5 total games in his career.

Nicki Minaj and her husband, Kenneth Petty, are being sued by the woman he was convicted of trying to rape in 1995, who claims she's being harassed ... especially after declining Nicki's offers to change her story.

The woman, Jennifer Hough, was the victim in Petty's 1995 conviction for first-degree attempted rape -- the reason he has to register as a sex offender. You'll recall, he was charged with not registering and recently took a plea deal.

Hough claims in new legal docs, obtained by TMZ, Nicki and Kenneth have directly and indirectly harassed her and threatened her to not speak about the incident, and she says they've inflicted emotional distress upon her as a result.

According to the docs ... Hough says this started after Petty and Minaj began dating in late 2018, with Minaj allegedly making comments about how Petty was "wrongfully accused" and claiming Hough had recanted her story back then ... something she denies.

Then, in March 2020 after Petty was arrested for failing to register as a sex offender ... Hough claims Minaj called her and offered to fly her and her family to L.A. in exchange for recanting her rape claims against Petty and helping him out.

Hough says she declined and within days, she and her family "suffered an onslaught of harassing calls and unsolicited visits." Shortly after, she claims Nicki had people reach out to Hough's brother and offer a $500k payment in exchange for a statement recanting her rape allegations against Petty.

According to the docs ... Hough says this was followed by Nicki sending lawyers to her home to try to pressure her into recanting her story, and she began to panic and feel unsafe because she was being harassed at home.

After one more alleged cash bribe offer of $20k and another alleged threat to her safety, Hough says she moved from her home in August 2020 ... and continues to live in fear.

She's suing Nicki and Kenneth for intentional infliction of emotional distress, harassment and witness intimidation ... as well as suing Petty for sexual assault related to the 1995 conviction.

Rey Maualuga is in trouble with the law again ... the former NFL and college football star was arrested on Wednesday, TMZ Sports has learned.

Jail records show the 34-year-old -- who was a 2nd-round pick in the 2009 NFL Draft -- was booked into Kenton County Jail in Kentucky at 8:19 PM.

Details surrounding his arrest are unclear -- we're working on it -- but records show Maualuga was booked on three charges, including DUI, criminal mischief first degree and criminal mischief third degree.

Maualuga -- who was listed at 6-foot-2, 245 pounds on his booking sheet -- was arrested by the Villa Hills Police Dept., the records show. He's due in court later Thursday.

Of course, this is far from Maualuga's first brush with the law ... in fact, he was just arrested by the Villa Hills Police Dept. back in July 2020.

In that case, Maualuga was accused of driving drunk and driving recklessly.

Maualuga was also arrested back in 2010 on suspicion of DUI ... and in 2017, he was arrested for allegedly attacking an employee at a Miami nightclub while he was a member of the Dolphins.

Maualuga is one of the best college football linebackers ever, starring at USC from 2005 through 2008. He went on to play 9 seasons in the NFL, starting 108 total games, before leaving the league after the 2017 season.

Mama June's boyfriend won't enjoy his usual freedoms over the next year and change ... because he was sentenced in his crack cocaine case in Alabama.

According to new legal docs obtained by TMZ ... Mama's BF Geno Doak was sentenced to 16 months in Macon Community Corrections after copping a plea deal. We're told that while Geno is registered as an inmate, he will not be physically behind bars, but has a set of rules to follow. If he messes up, he'll be locked up.

TMZ broke the story ... Mama and Geno were both busted outside an Alabama gas station back in March 2019 and charged with felony drug possession and misdemeanor unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia. The drug paraphernalia charge was dismissed as part of the deal.

According to the docs, Geno will be placed on probation for 2 years after he serves his 16 months. He also has to complete a substance abuse evaluation/treatment as part of the deal.

Yella Beezy is in police custody in Texas, where he's been arrested on weapon and drug charges ... TMZ has learned.

The rapper was busted Wednesday for possession of a controlled substance and unlawful carrying of a weapon ... according to records. The drug charge is a felony and the weapons charge is a misdemeanor.

Yella Beezy posted video on social media Tuesday night appearing to show law enforcement searching a car. The video shows flashing red and blue lights and cops digging into the trunk and passenger door of an SUV pulled off on the side of the road. YB captioned the video, "They stay fwm."

It's the second arrest for Yella Beezy in 6 months ... as we first reported, he was busted on weapons charges in Dallas back in February, but he claimed it was a setup.

Country singer Clare Dunn is terrified her alleged attacker -- a Lyft driver in Nashville -- is out there abusing another woman, because nearly 2 months after she was beaten on a roadside ... he's still free.

Clare says she'd been out in Nashville with girlfriends on June 25, and around midnight she got Lyft to take herself and one of her friends home. The driver dropped off the friend first, and then started a 10-mile drive to Clare's place -- but she knew something was wrong when he refused to take the route she requested.

The singer -- who lives in Colorado, but was in Music City working on an album -- says the driver sped onto a highway before finally pulling over about a mile from her stop, and dragging out of the backseat by her collar and slamming to the ground.

Clare says she was face-down in a ditch as she desperately tried to dial 911 on her phone, but couldn't as he was assaulting her. She was out cold for some period of time, and when she came to she started screaming ... and the driver fled at that point.

Clare went to an emergency room for treatment and filed a police report. She's identified the driver to a detective, and while there's a warrant out for the suspect's arrest ... cops still haven't tracked him down.

She told People, "He's out on the street — is he doing this to someone else? Does he have a wife he's abusing? Does he have a girlfriend he's abusing like this? Because he obviously has no regard right now."

Lyft says it's fired the driver and is helping law enforcement with the investigation.

Prosecutors have just revealed more stunning allegations against Terry Kennedy ... saying they believe the skateboarding star became enraged for "no apparent reason" before committing murder.

The DuPage County State's Attorney's Office made the announcement in a statement to TMZ Sports on Monday ... shedding more light on the alleged incident that resulted in the death of 23-year-old Josiah Kassahun.

Prosecutors say that on July 27, at around 11:05 a.m., Kennedy, his ex-girlfriend, and Kassahun checked out of a Comfort Suites Motel in Oakbrook Terrace, Ill. and began walking toward Kennedy's ex's car.

But, while on the walk, officials say Kennedy got upset for "no apparent reason."

Prosecutors say Kassahun tried to calm the 36-year-old skateboarding star down ... but that's when Kennedy allegedly punched the man in the face, causing him to fall to the ground and strike his head on the pavement.

Officials say Kennedy then kicked Kassahun in the torso ... before leaving the area in his ex's car.

As we previously reported, Kassahun died four days later from his injuries ... and Kennedy was ultimately charged with first-degree murder.

Prosecutors say Kennedy had a bond hearing Monday morning and his bail was set at $1 million. He's due back in court later this month for his arraignment.

"I would also like to extend my sincere condolences to Mr. Kassahun’s family and friends as they cope with this terrible tragedy," Oakbrook Terrace Chief of Police Casey Calvello said.

"I know that nothing will bring Josiah back, but I hope that the charges brought against the defendant offer some measure of comfort to his loved ones."

Cops are so livid over the way they say Jaxson Hayes fought them during his arrest last month ... they're now strongly urging NBA commissioner Adam Silver to take action against the Pelicans star.

It's all spelled out in a letter, obtained by TMZ Sports, written by the Los Angeles Police Protective League -- a police union representing 9,000 rank and file LAPD officers -- to Silver and New Orleans Pelicans owner Gayle Benson.

In the note -- which is four pages in length -- the police union says 6'11, 220-pound Hayes became combative on July 27 after they responded to a domestic disturbance call involving the hooper.

Law enforcement says Hayes refused orders, hurled the n-word at officers, and pushed one cop so hard into the wall, the basketball player injured the "much physically smaller" man.

We’ve obtained photos of the cop's alleged injuries ... and they appear to show the officer's elbow was swollen and bloody following the incident.

LAPPL went on to say in the letter that after a review of body camera footage from the night ... they strongly believe Hayes was out of line, and criminally assaulted an officer during the arrest.

"Mr. Silver," the officers said in the letter, "the actions of your player were unlawful, completely unacceptable and are as clear a prima facie case of violating several of the National Basketball Association policies as we have seen."

"We respectfully request that you immediately initiate a thorough investigation into Mr. Hayes' actions before, during and after the incident and to take appropriate corrective action to hold Mr. Hayes accountable."

They continued, "The video is clear. Your swift action in this incident is warranted."

The union also says in the letter Hayes' alleged use of the n-word was completely unacceptable ... saying it's on the same level as when NBA player Meyers Leonard used an anti-Semitic slur during a March video game stream.

"We ask you to investigate Mr. Hayes' use of the 'N-word' during the incident," cops said, "and based on the obvious evidence, hold him accountable for the blatant violation of the NBA's values of 'equality, tolerance, inclusion and respect.'"

LAPPL concluded the letter asking Silver and the NBA to "send an unequivocal message that assaulting police officers will never be tolerated by the NBA."

"Given the severity of this incident, we sincerely hope you take decisive action in this case."

As we previously reported, Hayes was arrested following the altercation with cops ... and was booked on a resisting arrest charge.

The 21-year-old has claimed cops used excessive force on his neck, causing him the inability to breathe at some points during the arrest.

Cops say former Vine star Hayes Grier had an accomplice conspire with him during his alleged beatdown that left a man with brain damage ... and now the guy's been arrested on felony charges.

Luke Foushee, a social media star and influencer like Hayes, was arrested and booked into jail in Mecklenburg County last month in the wake of the alleged vicious beating on a man involving Grier and himself.

According to the arrest warrant, obtained by TMZ, cops believe there's evidence to show Foushee and Grier planned the attack.

Foushee is now out on bail after being booked for conspiracy and assault inflicting serious bodily injury -- both felonies -- and posing for a mugshot on his way in.

TMZ broke the story ... Grier was arrested and charged for allegedly carrying out the savage beatdown on a man and jacking a $1,200 phone. As we reported, the man was left with brain damage, bruised ribs, broken bones and more.

Mally Mall's slated to begin his 33-month prison term next week, but he'd like a little more time before he has to check in ... because he says he needs to undergo a medical procedure first.

According to new legal docs, obtained by TMZ ... the hip-hop producer -- who pled guilty in late 2019 to running an illegal prostitution service out of Las Vegas -- has discovered a mass on his thigh that will require a CT scan and biopsy to determine if it's cancerous.

Mall says the mass will need to be removed in the next month or so whether it's malignant or not, so he's asking the judge to push his August 13 date to surrender to the Bureau of Prisons back 3 months ... to November 12.

There's more though -- according to the docs ... after Mall received his 33-month sentence in May, he was designated to serve his time in a medium-security facility, which he calls "unexpected."

So, along with using the next 3 months to resolve medical issues ... Mall also says he needs some extra time to seek a potential re-designation to another prison.

Nicki Minaj's husband is taking a plea deal that could seriously lighten his punishment for failing to register as a sex offender in California ... TMZ has learned.

According to docs filed by federal prosecutors ... Kenneth Petty has agreed to plead guilty to one count of failing to register, and in return, the feds say they will seek a sentence at the low end of the guidelines.

The judge will ultimately determine exactly what Petty gets, but in the docs -- obtained by TMZ -- the feds note the mandatory minimum sentence is 5 years of supervised release.

If you're wondering why Petty took the deal ... consider that the maximum sentence he could have faced is 10 years in prison with a lifetime of supervised release. He still might end up getting some time behind bars depending on how the judge weighs Petty's criminal history.

You'll recall, Petty was charged back in March 2020. He had moved to Cali with Nicki the previous year, and the feds said he never registered with local authorities as a sex offender -- something he was required to do because of a 1995 conviction in NY for first-degree attempted rape.

NYPD has a 26-year-old man in custody for allegedly striking actor Lisa Banes with an electric scooter and fleeing the scene ... the incident that ultimately killed her.

According to cops, Brian Boyd was arrested Thursday and is facing 2 charges -- leaving the scene of an accident resulting in death, and failure to yield to a pedestrian.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... cops recognized Boyd from a wanted poster that had been circulating, and scooped him up.

As we reported ... Banes -- known for her roles in "Gone Girl" and "Cocktail" -- was hit in a crosswalk on the evening of June 4 in the Upper West Side near the Lincoln Center.

Police say she had the right of way when the scooter passed through a red traffic signal and the collision occurred. Lisa was knocked to the roadway and critically injured while the suspect fled the scene.

Sadly, she died from her injuries 10 days later at the age of 65.

Bill Gates now deeply regrets having forged a relationship with the late Jeffrey Epstein ... but says it was something he did with good intentions.

The recently-divorced billionaire told Anderson Cooper he initially had several dinners with Epstein in hopes of getting billions of dollars from Epstein's wealthy contacts steered towards his global philanthropy efforts.

The Microsoft founder admits that when he realized that was never going to happen ... he says he ended the relationship with Epstein, who would ultimately be accused of child sex trafficking. Gates called the period a "huge mistake." Epstein took his own life while behind bars in August 2019.

There had been reports Melinda Gates hired divorce attorneys around October 2019 -- when Bill's relationship with Epstein became public -- because she was pissed about the Epstein tie, as well as allegations Bill had come on to different women.

As we reported, Bill and Melinda finalized their divorce earlier this week. It was an acrimonious divorce ... for obvious reasons.

The man who got duct taped to his seat aboard a Frontier plane was incoherently rambling and yelling shortly before he got his trap shut for him ... and it's truly a sight to see.

TMZ has obtained new video showing a different angle of Max Berry getting restrained on his weekend flight from Philly to Miami ... and it captures much of what was happening right before a male flight attendant wrapped him up in tape, and the moments thereafter.

Watch ... after several minutes of Berry ranting, the attendant walks up and then a scuffle breaks out. Not too long after, you see Berry taped to his seat and going on a tirade about what this means big picture. To him, it signaled war was imminent ... although he couldn't seem to articulate why. Between all the cussing/shouting (and slurring of his words, perhaps) it sounds like pure nonsense.

Another weird moment ... Berry mentions that he's white and that there's nothing he can do about that. We're told he was speaking to a Black passenger at the time.

Like we said, one of the crew members eventually comes up behind him and wraps up his blowhole with a crap ton of tape, and the rest of the cabin cheers. And yet, Berry seemed able to get out of that too and continue ranting.

As we reported ... the guy was arrested on several charges over this incident.

The police report, obtained by TMZ, says witnesses claimed Berry had had 2 alcoholic drinks prior to his meltdown, and upon receiving (and spilling) a 3rd, things spiraled into what you see here. BTW, an eyewitness tells us they allegedly saw Berry drinking even before the flight.

He also allegedly grazed the backside of one flight attendant, and was accused of groping another one's breasts. He's facing multiple counts of battery, and was released after posting $4,500 bail.