Tag Archives: crime

CNBC reports: Celebrity attorney Michael Avenatti denied on Tuesday that he had tried to shake down Nike, and he accused the sports apparel giant of committing a “crime and coverup.” Avenatti tweeted his denial a day after he was arrested on federal charges, including trying to extort up to $25 million from the sports apparel company by threatening to reveal …

The Desert Sun reports: Police are looking for a person who shot two people at a Palm Springs night club early Sunday. The shooting was reported just before 2 a.m. at Toucans Toucans Tiki Lounge, 2100 N. Palm Canyon Drive. Neither victim’s injuries were life threatening, Palm Springs police Sgt. Ryan Raso said. The incident began when two people got …

CBS News reports: Police say a man threatened and intimidated members of a Phoenix mosque Saturday evening. According to the Phoenix Police Department, 40-year-old Noel Thomas Becht was reportedly acting suspiciously at the United Islamic Center of Arizona located near 35th Avenue and Yorkshire Drive. He first entered the mosque and told members he was curious about the Muslim religion. …

Will Sommer reports at The Daily Beast: Right-wing personality Jacob Wohl appears to have faked death threats against himself. One of those threats came via direct message from a Twitter account called @Drakehomes612, who described himself as a Minneapolis “diversity coordinator.” “I hope you fuckin know that if [I] bump into you in Dinkytown or anywhere else in my city …

NBC News reports: The ringleader behind a $25 million college admission scam that implicated dozens of people, including Hollywood actresses Lori Loughlin and Felicity Huffman, said he has worked with more than 750 families. William Rick Singer, who pleaded guilty Tuesday in a Boston federal court to racketeering, money laundering, conspiracy and obstruction of justice charges, said in a phone …

The San Francisco Chronicle reports: The 737 inmates on California’s largest-in-the-nation death row are getting a reprieve from Gov. Gavin Newsom, who plans to sign an executive order Wednesday placing a moratorium on executions. Newsom also is withdrawing the lethal injection regulations that death penalty opponents already have tied up in courts and shuttering the new execution chamber at San …

The Wall Street Journal reports: The U.S. Bureau of Prisons opened an investigation into pharmaceutical wunderkind Martin Shkreli’s behavior behind bars, a bureau spokesperson said Friday. The Wall Street Journal reported Thursday that Mr. Shkreli, 35 years old, is largely running his former drug company, Phoenixus AG, from his prison cell in Fort Dix, N.J., via a contraband smartphone. Mr. …

The Chicago Tribune reports: Musician R. Kelly was taken into custody Wednesday afternoon after failing to comply with a judge’s order that he pay more than $161,000 in back child support. More than a hour after Kelly entered a closed court hearing in the Daley Center, he walked out accompanied by Cook County sheriff’s deputies. “He’s in our custody,” said …

The Associated Press reports: A 24-year-old man is guilty of trying to detonate what he believed was an explosives-laden van outside an Oklahoma City bank, a federal jury ruled Monday. Jurors convicted Jerry Drake Varnell, of Sayre, of attempting to use an explosive device to damage a building and attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction. Prosecutors alleged that …

The Salt Lake Tribune reports: He asked the man if he was gay and when he responded “I am,” he hit him. Now, that alleged attacker faces assault charges — but those will not be enhanced as a hate crime. Carlo Alazo, 22 from Florida, was charged Friday by the Salt Lake County district attorney with three misdemeanors for threatening …

ABC News reports: David and Louise Turpin, who are accused of starving, beating and inflicting other abuse on 12 of their 13 children at their Perris home, pleaded guilty to multiple charges in the case as part of a plea deal. The two appeared in court on Friday and each pleaded guilty to 14 counts in connection to the abuse …

The Chicago Sun-Times reports: Embattled R&B superstar R. Kelly was charged with 10 counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse in Cook County Friday morning, records show. His first court date is listed as March 8, according to records. Sources told the Sun-Times that Cook County prosecutors were appearing before a judge Friday afternoon to sign off on an arrest warrant …

Chicago’s ABC affiliate reports: When Jussie Smollett called the cast and crew of the television show “Empire” together Thursday night, they were expecting the actor to come clean about what really happened, a person at the meeting told CNN. Smollett did apologize to his coworkers for any embarrassment they might have felt since the story began. But then, to the …

The Blast reports: Jussie Smollett is to be released this afternoon on a $100,000 bond and is ordered to surrender his passport. During the hearing, text messages between Jussie Smollett and the brothers were read aloud to the court. Smollett was seen taking deep breaths, closing his eyes, and shaking his head. Smollett’s siblings, including Jazz, Jake and Jocqui, arrived …

USA Today reports: “Empire” actor Jussie Smollett choreographed a homophobic, racist attack against himself with the help of two brother he knew, in an attempt to raise his profile because he was dissatisfied with the salary he was making, police said Thursday. Eddie Johnson, superintendent of the Chicago Police Department, kicked off the presser, explaining what their investigation concluded. “This …

ABC News Chicago reports: Chicago police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi confirmed Wednesday afternoon that Jussie Smollett is officially a suspect in a criminal investigation for filing a false police report, a Class 4 felony. Guglielmi said CPD detectives are currently presenting evidence before a Cook County grand jury. Earlier Gugliemi confirmed prosecutors are speaking with Jussie Smollett’s attorneys as part of …

CBS News Chicago reports: Sources told CBS 2 News that Smollett paid the two men $3,500 to stage the attack in Streeterville. The brothers, seen on surveillance video near the scene of the alleged attack, told investigators Smollett directed them to buy the rope used in the incident, and paid for the purchase at Crafty Beaver Hardware Store in Ravenswood …

The Salt Lake Tribune reports: Salt Lake City police are asking the public for help identifying a man who hit another after asking if he was gay. The assault is captured in an eight-second video posted to Twitter on Sunday by Sal Trejo and quickly spread through social media. The assault took place downtown and the video starts with the …

CNN reports: Two law enforcement sources with knowledge of the investigation told CNN that Chicago Police believe Jussie Smollett paid two men to orchestrate the assault. The brothers, who were arrested Wednesday, were released without charges Friday after Chicago police cited the discovery of “new evidence.” The sources told CNN that the two men are now cooperating fully with law …

Chicago’s ABC News affiliate reports: Chicago police confirmed Thursday that detectives are talking to two persons of interest in connection with the alleged attack on “Empire” actor Jussie Smollett. Multiple sources have told ABC7 Eyewitness News that police are investigating whether Smollett and the two men staged the attack allegedly because Smollett was being written off of “Empire.” A source …