A jury in Los Angeles has found US actor Danny Masterson guilty on two out of three counts of rape. The star of That ’70s Show, a TV series, faces up to 30 years in prison. He was led from court in handcuffs. Three women, all former members of the Church of Scientology, accused the actor of sexual assault at his Hollywood home from 2001-03. Prosecutors argued Masterson had relied on his status as a prominent Scientologist to avoid accountability. The jury of seven women and five men was unable to reach a verdict on a third count after a … Continue reading US actor Danny Masterson found guilty on two rape counts

A former South Carolina lawyer who was convicted in March of murdering his wife and son has been now charged with 22 counts of financial fraud. Prosecutors allege Alex Murdaugh, 54, defrauded his clients out of millions of dollars in settlement funds. He is accused of three schemes, including stealing settlement funds from his housekeeper’s death in a reported 2018 fall at Murdaugh’s home. The charges include conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering. Murdaugh is currently serving life in prison for the murder of his wife, Maggie, and son, Paul. He is appealing the conviction. He hails from … Continue reading Murdaugh The Murderer: Convicted murderer Alex Murdaugh charged with fraud in housekeeper’s death

A multi-millionaire’s elaborate prison escape plan has been foiled by authorities after a two-month investigation. John Manchec’s plan involved some of his employees and inmates he had befriended since being jailed in Florida on charges relating to images of child abuse. Explaining the plan, Indian River County Sheriff Eric Flowers said that Manchec was going to use a doctor’s visit to leave the prison while his accomplices pepper-sprayed prison guards. He would then be taken to his private plane in nearby Fort Pierce, so that he could fly to France, where he also has citizenship. Manchec has escaped to France … Continue reading How multi-millionaire planned to escape US prison and take private plane to French chateau

The tech entrepreneur suspected of killing Cash App founder Bob Lee in an incident that initially stoked fears over safety in San Francisco has pleaded not guilty to murder. Prosecutors say Nima Momeni, 38, stabbed Mr Lee, 43, in the early hours of 4 April in the Californian city. Relying on CCTV, they allege the murder was premeditated as Mr Momeni drove to a secluded area. The judge ordered Mr Momeni to be detained ahead of the trial. His lawyer, Paula Canny, argued against the prosecution’s strategy, saying not much can be seen from the CCTV footage. The San Francisco … Continue reading Update: Cash App founder Bob Lee murder suspect pleads not guilty

US prosecutors have charged a man with stealing the famous red slippers worn by Judy Garland’s character Dorothy in the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz. The valuable shoes were found in an FBI operation in 2018 – after being taken from a museum in August 2005 – but no arrests were made at the time. On Tuesday, federal prosecutors charged Minnesota man Terry Martin, 76, with theft of a major artwork. The recovered slippers are one of four pairs in existence. The shoes were taken from the Judy Garland Museum in Grand Rapids, Minnesota, by a thief who had … Continue reading FBI charges man with stealing Dorothy’s The Wizard of Oz slippers

Elon Musk has been subpoenaed by the US Virgin Islands in a lawsuit accusing a Wall Street bank of enabling Jeffrey Epstein to sex traffic women. It calls on the Tesla boss to hand over any documents showing communication between him, JP Morgan Chase bank and Epstein, who died in 2019. Mr Musk is not accused of any wrongdoing in the case. On Monday, he also reiterated denials of suggestions that Epstein had provided him with financial advice. Jeffrey Epstein died in jail in New York in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges. Prosecutors in 2019 accused him … Continue reading Elon Musk documents subpoenaed in Jeffrey Epstein lawsuit

A former US Marine is to be charged with the manslaughter of a homeless man on the New York City subway, the Manhattan district attorney has said. Daniel Penny, 24, will be arrested and formally accused on Friday of causing Jordan Neely’s death after he placed the 30-year-old in a chokehold. Mr Penny’s lawyers say he could not have known his actions to subdue Mr Neely would lead to his death. The incident on Monday 1 May was captured on mobile phone footage. “We can confirm that Daniel Penny will be arrested on a charge of manslaughter in the second … Continue reading Jordan Neely’s killer Daniel Penny to be charged over New York subway death

Dutchman Joran van der Sloot, a suspect in the 2005 disappearance of an American teenager, will be extradited from Peru to face criminal charges in the US, according to media reports. He is currently in Peru serving 28 years in prison for killing a 21-year-old Peruvian woman named Stephany Flores. American Natalee Holloway, 18, went missing during a school trip in Aruba. Van der Sloot faces federal wire fraud and extortion charges in the US. In a statement reported in US media, Holloway’s family said Peru has agreed to temporarily extradite Van der Sloot so he can “answer for his … Continue reading Dutchman Joran van der Sloot to be extradited from Peru to US

A Utah woman who published a children’s book about grief after the sudden death of her husband has been charged with his murder. Kouri Richins, a mother of three, called police late one night in March 2022 and said her husband, Eric Richins, was “cold to the touch”. She told authorities she had made her husband a mixed vodka drink before finding him unresponsive hours later. A medical examiner later found Mr Richins died from a fentanyl overdose. He had five times the lethal dosage of the drug in his system, the medical examiner said. According to court documents, between … Continue reading American bereavement writer charged with husband’s murder

A high-profile Sydney jeweller has been arrested for allegedly planning a robbery at his own luxury shop, and then making a bogus insurance claim. In January, two men allegedly threatened Michel Germani and a female staff member at his central Sydney store, demanding access to the safe. But police say Mr Germani, 65, actually organised the incident to defraud his insurance company. He now faces a string of charges including robbery, fraud and deception. Police have not disclosed what was taken in the raid, but Detective Superintendent Joe Doueihi said Mr Germani had made a claim for a “substantial amount … Continue reading Sydney jeweller charged over raid on his own store

The New York City medical examiner has ruled that a subway rider was killed by a chokehold after a fight with another passenger that was caught on camera. Officials say Jordan Neely’s death was caused by homicide, from “compression of neck (chokehold)”. Video of the incident shows Neely, 30, struggling as another man grabs him and holds him on the ground. Police have questioned and released the 24-year-old US Marine who restrained the passenger. Homicide means a death caused by another person, but is not necessarily a murder. It is now up to police and prosecutors to determine if charges … Continue reading How a New York subway passenger died after chokehold

A US woman has been arrested in Australia after a 24-carat gold-plated gun was found in her luggage. The woman, who has not been identified, arrived in Sydney from Los Angeles and did not have a permit for the firearm, the Australian Border Force (ABF) said. She could face up to 10 years in jail. Photos released by the ABF showed an airport scan of the woman’s luggage, revealing the firearm inside her bag. A second photo showed the handgun after the bag was opened. In a statement, an ABF official said that sophisticated detection technology had helped stop a … Continue reading US woman arrested in Sydney with golden gun in luggage