Crime & Arrests

The French rape trial that's captured the world's attention has come to a close ... with the accused, Dominique Pelicot, being found guilty and hit with a hefty prison sentence.

A French court brought down the maximum 20 years in prison sentence for Dominique on Thursday, after he was found guilty on all charges brought against him in the case ... where he was accused of repeatedly drugging, raping, and inviting dozens of others to rape his wife, Gisèle Pelicot, while she was unconscious.

Dominique, who is currently 72 years old, could easily spend the rest of his life in prison given the lengthy sentence.

Real Housewives of Potomac star Karen Huger has been found guilty of DUI and other crimes months after she crashed her car in Maryland.

A jury convicted Huger on 7 of 8 charges prosecutors brought against her, including driving under the influence, negligent driving, failing to control her vehicle’s speed to avoid a collision, and failing to notify authorities of a change of address.

Huger dodged a conviction on a reckless driving charge during her Montgomery County trial Wednesday ... but she now faces up to 2 years in prison when a judge sentences her on January 29.

Luigi Mangione mentioned the big bucks he had in the bank on a trip to Thailand ... and also, repeatedly brought up a couple of revealing books -- TMZ has learned.

A source -- who doesn't want to be identified by name, but who spent significant time with Luigi back in April -- tells TMZ ... the two went to the popular tourism destination together, hitting up bars and visiting a weed shop, and cracking inside jokes over a period of two days.

According to his friend, Luigi was "making lawyer money" coding for TrueCar ... a telling statement because Mangione reportedly stopped working for them months before going to Thailand.

The suspect charged with fatally stabbing 3 little girls and injuring 10 others at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in the UK has pleaded not guilty to all 16 charges against him.

18-year-old Axel Rudakubana stayed silent during his appearance in Liverpool Crown Court via video link from London's Belmarsh prison Wednesday, where Justice Julian Goose directed the clerk to enter not guilty pleas across the board.

Rudakubana is charged with 3 counts of murder, 10 counts of attempted murder, and additional charges for allegedly possessing ricin and an Al-Qaeda manual related to the attack on July 29 this year.

Thomas Giuffra, the lawyer for three anonymous men who have accused Diddy of sodomizing them, says Diddy's a lot like another fallen Hollywood power player -- Harvey Weinstein.

The attorney stopped by CNN Wednesday to talk about the lawsuit he recently filed on behalf of his three clients ... and, he says the similar threads in their stories caught his attention early on.

Giuffra says abusers -- like Diddy's accused of being -- all have patterns ... adding former Hollywood producer Weinstein had them as well.

Luigi Mangione's mother knew he was capable of extreme actions -- hinting at his current state of mind when questioned by police just days before his arrest for the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.

Following Luigi's first-degree murder indictment Tuesday, NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny revealed during a Manhattan D.A. press conference that, before his arrest, they called the suspect's mother, Kathleen Mangione, while vetting a tip from the San Francisco FBI office related to a missing-person case.

Kenny said Kathleen seemed unsurprised, saying, "They had a conversation where she didn’t indicate that it was her son in the photograph, but she said it might be something that she could see him doing."

Diddy's alleged mule, Brendan Paul, is off the hook in his felony drug case in Florida ... because all the charges have been dropped, TMZ has confirmed.

State prosecutors officially dismissed the charges against Paul Tuesday because he completed a pretrial diversion program ... according to his attorney, Brian Bieber.

Meanwhile, federal sources tell TMZ ... Paul did NOT strike a deal with federal prosecutors in the Diddy case.

5:07 PM PT -- Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... Megan Thee Stallion's legal team has more proof connecting Tory and the blogger who's been bashing MTS. We're told they've obtained financial records of a handful of payments Tory's father allegedly made to Elizabeth Milagro Cooper between October 2020 and March 2022, and totaling $3,000.

We're told Megan's attorneys will bringing receipts to court ... for the restraining order case, and also for the lawsuit she filed against Cooper.

Tory Lanez being in prison isn't stopping his harassment of Megan Thee Stallion ... at least according to her, so, now she's back in court to battle him once again.

Megan filed a request for a restraining order Tuesday, detailing for the judge several months of abuse she's endured from Tory ... who, of course, is serving a 10-year sentence in California for shooting at Megan's feet back in 2020.

According to the docs, Megan says Tory's got an army of bloggers who he employs to spread defamatory statements about her -- including a woman named Elizabeth Milagro Cooper, who Meg actually sued a couple months ago.

James Kennedy is breaking his silence after domestic violence arrest ... saying he's going to take time off from work to focus on himself.

In a statement posted on his Instagram on Tuesday ... the "Vanderpump Rules" alum says, "I am committed to making meaningful changes in my life. I am taking time to focus on my sobriety, personal growth, and being present for my loved ones."

James adds ... "Navigating challenging moments is not easy, but I am determined to learn, grow, and move forward with the incredible support system around me."

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg announced Tuesday Luigi Mangione has been charged with first-degree murder in the fatal shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.

It's unusual to be charged with first-degree murder in the state of New York -- the charge is usually reserved for cases involving the killing of law enforcement officers, serial killers, and for acts of terrorism. Mangione had been facing a preliminary charge of second-degree murder after he was arrested last week.

First-degree murder sentences typically involve life without parole due to the element of premeditated intent. In contrast, second-degree murder might result in a 15-year-to-life sentence, where parole might be an eventual possibility.

Anna Duggar has kept herself under the radar for the past two years since her husband Josh was sentenced to a stiff prison term for possessing child porn -- but she's now resurfaced, looking happier than ever -- and still wearing her wedding ring.

Check out video obtained by TMZ ... Anna seems at ease as she walks from her parked vehicle with a young woman to watch one of her sons play basketball at his school in Fayetteville, Arkansas.

As you can see, Anna flashes her wedding band while adjusting her coat, indicating she's still got Josh's back despite him serving a 12-year sentence in federal prison.

3:27 PM PT -- Nima Momeni's attorney Bradford Cohen tells TMZ … Momeni will be appealing, and "We believe there is enough error during the trial to afford him a good chance at a retrial."

Cohen asserts the state's attorney had to "overcharge the defendant" due to rampant crime in San Francisco, saying ... "It's disappointing that after seeing a video in which it proved that the state's witness, Bo Mohazzabi, was a liar, and additionally showed what appears to be Bob Lee holding a knife and snorting a substance off of it, that they came back with 2nd-degree murder."

San Francisco jurors found the man accused of killing the founder of Cash App guilty of murder Tuesday ... following a 6-week trial featuring conflicting testimony about drugs and revenge.

Nima Momeni was found guilty of second-degree murder after the jury deliberated for 7 days. The jury reached the verdict Monday night, but it was not read in court until this morning.

The founder of Cash App, 43-year-old Bob Lee, was stabbed to death in April 2023 under the Bay Bridge in San Francisco. He was stabbed 3 times, including through his heart, with a paring knife ... and he managed to call 911 before he died later in a hospital.

Chris Zylka -- the actor/model who was engaged to Paris Hilton -- has turned himself in to cops in Ohio after allegedly fighting off officers last week who attempted to arrest him.

A clerk at the Warren Municipal Court in Ohio tells TMZ ... Zylka surrendered Monday, and was charged with 2 felonies -- assault for elbowing an officer, and attempting to commit an offense by trying to break into a vehicle -- plus 3 misdemeanors, including disorderly conduct, resisting arrest, and aggravated menacing.

As we reported last week ... police responded to a report of a man dressed in pajama pants trying to get into a woman's car in a busy intersection in Warren, Ohio. Even though it was about 32 degrees outside, the suspect was not wearing shoes or a shirt.

Prosecutors are tagging alleged Gilgo Beach serial killer Rex Heuermann with another murder, saying his 7th victim is Valerie Mack.

Heuermann was arraigned Tuesday in the Suffolk County Courthouse in New York for the slaying of Mack, a former sex worker whose body was found in November 2000.

Prosecutors had named him a suspect in her death back in June ... based on evidence cops collected at Heuermann's Long Island home.

James Kennedy was spotted helping his longtime girlfriend, Ally Lewber, load her personal items into her car just days after his arrest on misdemeanor domestic violence. Now, TMZ has learned the couple is currently spending time apart.

In photos taken Sunday outside their San Fernando Valley home, James appeared somber as he helped Ally carry a laundry hamper, suitcase, and other belongings to her car.

Sources close to the couple tell TMZ ... despite the recent situation, James and Ally are still together romantically as of now. Ally, however, has temporarily relocated to an Airbnb nearby, where she plans to stay with her family, who recently arrived in town to support her.

Rashee Rice and his family now have one less thing to stress about as the Chiefs head into the home stretch of the 2024 season ... TMZ Sports has learned the Kansas City star's mom's theft case has been dismissed.

Court documents we obtained show prosecutors in Tarrant County, Texas agreed to drop the misdemeanor case against Rice's mother, Marsha Kearney ... after she fulfilled several conditions.

According to the docs, Kearney completed a theft intervention program as well as 24 hours of community service. She also paid $125 in restitution. Court officials tell us the case is now disposed.