STORM2K

This is a thread of stories about Famous (and not so famous) movie & TV stars, musicians, etc. who recently got in trouble with the law. Example: Last year, Houston rapper Carlos Coy a.k.a. South Park Mexican was sentenced to 45 years in prison for a minor rape with a teenage girl. So to spin things off....

Beanie Sigel pleads guilty to drugs and weapons charges

PHILADELPHIA, Penn. (AP) — Beanie Sigel, a Philadelphia rapper who was a protege of rap superstar Jay-Z, pleaded guilty Thursday to federal drug and weapons charges.

Under federal sentencing guidelines, Sigel faces about three years in prison when he is sentenced July 8, authorities said.

The charges stemmed from a 2002 traffic stop when authorities said Sigel, whose birth name is Dwight Grant, ditched his sport utility vehicle and a loaded handgun while fleeing from police. Investigators said they found drugs in the vehicle, including codeine, Oxycodone and marijuana.

Sigel, 30, pleaded guilty in federal court to a drug count, and a charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm. He was convicted on narcotics charges in 1995.

In a separate case involving the rapper, jury selection is scheduled to begin Monday on a state charge of attempted murder.

Prosecutors say Sigel shot and seriously wounded a man outside a Philadelphia bar in July. He is also awaiting trial on charges that he fractured a 53-year-old man's eye socket.

During his seven-year music career, Sigel's records have sold more than 1 million copies.

Judge won't release C-Murder on bond

GRETNA, La. (AP) - The judge who granted the rapper C-Murder a new murder trial denied a request to release him on bond Monday because he faces other felony charges.

State District Judge Martha Sassone last week ruled that the rapper, whose real name is Corey Miller, deserves a new trial because prosecutors withheld key information about the witnesses who implicated him.

On Monday, Sassone ruled Miller will not be released on bond while he waits for a new second-degree murder trial. Sassone ordered Miller held because he also faces charges after being booked in August 2001, with attempted first-degree murder and a weapons charge after allegedly trying to shoot the owner of a Baton Rouge nightclub.

Ronald Rakosky, Miller's defense lawyer, said his client should be released because Baton Rouge prosecutors have not pursued those charges in the more than two years since Miller's arrest.

Miller also faces a charge of battery on a prison guard for an alleged attack inside the Jefferson Parish jail. He has a June 14 court date on that charge.

Miller, 33, was convicted last September of second-degree murder in the killing of Steve Thomas, 16, inside a Jefferson Parish nightclub on Jan. 12, 2002. He faced a mandatory sentence of life in prison without parole.

The judge ruled last week that Miller deserved a new trial prosecutors had withheld information from the defense about the criminal histories of several witnesses.

Prosecutors have a May 6 deadline to appeal.

Miller has been in the parish jail since his arrest Jan. 19, 2002. He is the younger brother of rap star Percy Miller, known as Master P.

This thread should be interesting!

Lil' Kim faces perjury charges in rap-rivalry shootout investigation

NEW YORK (Court TV) — Rapper Lil' Kim turned herself in to authorities Wednesday morning after being charged with lying to a grand jury about a three-year-old shootout between members of her entourage and those of rival rap duo Capone-N-Noreaga.

Lil' Kim, whose real name is Kimberly Jones, is one of four defendants named in the 25-page, 17-count indictment handed down by U.S. Attorney David Kelley.

Jones is charged with conspiracy to commit perjury, obstruction of justice, and three counts each of making false statements and perjuring herself during three separate appearances before a grand jury that was investigating a Februrary 2001 shooting in front of a Manhattan hip-hop radio station.

"These charges are baseless and I'm confident that the case against her will be completely dismissed," her lawyer, Mel Sachs, told reporters.

Jones' co-defendants, members of her rap "family," Jr. M.A.F.I.A., include Damion Butler, aka D-Roc, Suif Jackson, aka Gutta, and Monique Dopwell, aka Mo Betta. The alleged shooters, Butler and Jackson, have previous convictions on unrelated felony firearm charges and now face additional gun charges.

Although Jones is not a suspect in the shooting, she faces a maximum prison sentence of five years on the conspiracy charge, five years for each perjury count, five years on each false statement count and 10 years for obstruction of justice, as well as fines of at least $250,000.

The trouble began on the Sunday afternoon of Feb. 25, 2001. As Jones was exiting Hot 97's Greenwich Village station after a guest appearance, members of Capone-N-Noreaga's entourage were arriving.

Investigators say that, while Jones and Dopwell were standing by, Butler, Jackson and at least one other person fired shots at the rival group outside the radio station, putting one man, Efrain Ocasio, in the hospital with a bullet in his back.

Jackson is also charged with firing an illegally obtained fully automatic Mac-11 machine gun. Ocasio was treated for his gunshot wounds and later released.

The rivalry apparently stemmed from insults that Kiam Holley, aka Capone, and rap diva Inga Merchand, aka Foxy Brown, slung at Jones on the song "Bang Bang," from Capone-N-Noreaga's 2000 album, "The Reunion."

According to earlier press reports, a surveillance video camera on the scene showed Jones and several men, possibly the shooters, scrambling into the back of her black limousine and fleeing the scene. Butler, Dopwell and Jones, met up that evening at Jones' New Jersey home, according to the indictment.

Butler, who was a close friend of rapper Biggie Smalls, aka Notorious B.I.G., developed a relationship with Jones and became her manager after Smalls was murdered in 1997. Jones refers to Butler as "my brother, my best friend" in the liner notes to her album, "The Notorious Kim."

Jackson, who was also a close friend of both Smalls and Jones, often spent the night at Jones' New Jersey home, according to the indictment.

But when Jones was shown a picture of Jackson during a grand jury investigation on June 19, 2003, she denied having a friendship with him.

"I think I have seen him, but I don't know him too well," Jones said, "I don't know his name."

"Where do you think you have seen him?" asked the investigator, who is not identified in the indictment.

"I have seen him around. He has a familiar face."

"Has he ever been to your home?"

"No," Jones replied.

When asked whether Butler was present on the day of the shooting, Jones answered, "Yeah — no, I am not positive."

Later, after more questioning about whether she had seen Butler at any time during or after the shooting, Jones replied, "That's what you asked me before and I said the same thing."

"And you did not see him?" asked the investigator. "Is that what you are saying?"

"I did not see him," said Jones.

Jones was to be arraigned Wednesday afternoon before Magistrate Judge Debra Freeman. The case is assigned to U.S. District Judge Gerard Lynch, and a pretrial conference is scheduled for April 16.

Read the indictment (PDF)

This thread just begs, cries, screams, etc., for Courtney Love. Without further ado....

Rocker Courtney Love Owes Millions - Report
Wed Apr 14, 7:20 PM ET

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Add financial woes to the long list of worries bedeviling rock star Courtney Love (news).

The trouble-prone musician claims in the upcoming issue of Blender magazine that she has been swindled out of $40 million, while a former business associate says she is in debt to the tune of at least $4 million.


Love, the 39-year-old widow of late Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain, is already dealing with a stack of legal and health concerns, and her music career suffered a recent blow when her long awaited debut solo album bombed.


"I'm covered with loser dust," she was quoted as telling Blender, whose May issue featuring the Love cover story will hit newsstands on April 20.


Love told Blender that "... $40 million has been stolen from me and (11-year-old daughter) Frances by a fiduciary institution."


She added, "I found out that our dog walker was making $100,000. One person put a BMW on my credit card. My daughter's trust fund has been stolen from to the point where she may have, like, nothing. I can't let this happen to Frances."


Blender said "multiple parties close to Love agree that a large sum of money is unaccounted for," while a former business associate who had access to her accounts in the past six months told Blender she is at least "... $4 million in debt."


Love faces two separate trials in Los Angeles, one for misdemeanor disorderly conduct and being under the influence of a controlled substance, and the other for two felony counts of unlawful drug possession. She also temporarily lost custody of Frances, her only child with Cobain, who shot himself in the head 10 years ago.


Love's album "America's Sweetheart," released by EMI Group Plc (news - web sites)'s Virgin Records unit, spent just four weeks on the Billboard Top 200 chart.

Oh, gotta have Courtney Love in there.

Lil' Kim pleads not guilty to perjury in 2001 shootout investigation

NEW YORK (Court TV) — Rap diva Lil' Kim pleaded not guilty Wednesday in Manhattan federal court to charges that she lied before a grand jury about a three-year-old shootout between members of her entourage and rival duo Capone-N-Noreaga.

Lil' Kim, whose real name is Kimberly Jones, is one of four defendants named in the 25-page, 17-count indictment handed down by U.S. Attorney David Kelley.

Jones is charged with conspiracy to commit perjury, obstruction of justice, and three counts each of making false statements and perjuring herself during three separate appearances before a grand jury that was investigating a February 2001 shooting in front of a Manhattan hip-hop radio station.

She was released on a $500,000 personal recognizance bond and will return to court on Monday, with her attorney, Mel Sachs, for a pretrial conference.

"She's been unfailingly targeted and unjustly charged, because of who she is in the music industry," Sachs told Courttv.com.

Sachs said authorities seized books and records from Jones' Queen Bee Records on Monday in midtown Manhattan , pursuant to a search warrant.

Jones' co-defendants, Damion Butler (aka D-Roc), Suif Jackson (aka Gutta), and Monique Dopwell (aka Mo Betta), are members of her rap "family," Junior M.A.F.I.A.

Although Jones is not a suspect in the shooting, she faces a maximum prison sentence of five years on the conspiracy charge, five years for each perjury count, five years on each false statement count and 10 years for obstruction of justice, as well as fines of at least $250,000.

The trouble began on the Sunday afternoon of Feb. 25, 2001, when bullets flew between members of Junior M.A.F.I.A. and Capone-N-Noreaga.

At 3:15 p.m., Jones finished a guest DJ performance on WQHT's Hot 97, and was exiting the station with her crew when Kiam Holley (aka Capone), and Victor Santiago (aka Noreaga), were arriving with their entourage for a scheduled performance.

Police say the street scuffle involved more than 20 people, with at least five guns and 21 shots.

Jackson allegedly fired from a fully automatic Mac-11 machine gun. Throughout the battle, only one man was shot. Capone's pal Efrain Ocasio was treated for a bullet wound in the back and released.

The long-standing feud between the two camps apparently was fueled by insults that rap diva Inga Marchand (aka Foxy Brown) slung at Jones on the song "Bang Bang," from Capone-N-Noreaga's 2000 album, "Reunion."

Police questioned Jones at her Englewood, N.J., home the next day, and she denied any knowledge of who was responsible for the gun fight. A security video, later recovered by police, allegedly shows Jones standing by as bullets were traded, and then jumping into her limousine with one of the suspected shooters.

Sachs said he has not seen the video, but will review it when it is released during the discovery stage of the case. The defense lawyer also said media characterizations of Jackson as Jones' bodyguard and Butler as her manager "are not quite accurate."

The indictment, however, attempts to draw strong relationships between Jones and her alleged shooter co-defendants.

According to authorities, Jones has been friends with Jackson and Butler since she joined Junior M.A.F.I.A. in 1995 and started learning the ropes from the group's founder, Christopher Wallace (aka The Notorious B.I.G.). After Wallace's murder in 1997, Butler became a co-manager for Jones, and sometimes lived at her house.

In the liner notes to her 2000 album, "The Notorious K.I.M.," Jones refers to Butler as "my brother, my best friend," and thanks Jackson by his nickname, according to the indictment.

Jones made three separate appearances before a grand jury in 2003 — June 19, July 3 and Aug. 21 — to answer questions about the shooting. She repeatedly denied seeing either of the men on the scene. When she was shown a picture of Jackson, she denied having a friendship with him.

"I think I have seen him, but I don't know him too well," Jones said, "I don't know his name."

"Where do you think you have seen him?" asked the investigator, who is not identified in the indictment.

"I have seen him around. He has a familiar face."

"Has he ever been to your home?"

"No," Jones replied.

When asked whether Butler was present on the day of the shooting, Jones answered, "Yeah — no, I am not positive."

Later, after more questioning about whether she had seen Butler at any time during or after the shooting, Jones replied, "That's what you asked me before and I said the same thing."

"And you did not see him?" asked the investigator. "Is that what you are saying?"

"I did not see him," said Jones.

Jones has no prior criminal record. Both Butler and Jackson, however, have received firearm violations and gun convictions in New York.

"I'm confident this case will be completely dismissed," Sachs said. "There hasn't been any evidence, with a guarantee of trustworthiness, which shows that she in any way made any false statements."

NHL player and girlfriend charged in alleged hit-for-hire scheme

ST. LOUIS, Missouri (Court TV/AP) — A day after St. Louis forward Mike Danton was charged in an alleged murder-for-hire scheme, his Blues teammates were still having trouble fathoming the news. "It's beyond shock," forward Doug Weight said Saturday as players cleaned out their lockers. "I don't know what to say."

According to a criminal complaint filed in federal court in Illinois, Danton, 23, and 19-year-old Katie Wolfmeyer tried to hire someone to kill an acquaintance of the hockey player. Danton was arrested at the airport in San Jose, Calif., after the Blues were knocked out of the playoffs by a loss to San Jose on Thursday.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported in Sunday editions that Danton had agreed to extradition, and that he was being moved from a California jail to St. Louis.

"It's tough," center Keith Tkachuk told reporters. "I don't know what's going on. You guys probably know more than I do."

Danton and Wolfmeyer, of Florissant, a St. Louis suburb, face federal charges of conspiring and using a telephone across state lines to set up a murder. According to the criminal complaint, Danton told Wolfmeyer that a hit man from Canada was coming to kill him and asked her if she knew someone who would kill the person for $10,000.

The complaint alleges that Danton was trying to kill a male acquaintance whom he had fought with Tuesday over Danton's "promiscuity and use of alcohol." The complaint said Danton feared the acquaintance, who is not identified, would talk to St. Louis Blues management and ruin Danton's career.

Dave Frost, Danton's agent, told the Post-Dispatch: "We don't as of yet have all the facts. I spoke with Mike. We're fully supportive of him, and we fully intend to be behind him, and with him. Unequivocally, I can tell you it had nothing to do with drugs and alcohol, period. Once we get all the facts, we'll be able to realize what really happened. He's a good kid. He really is."

Frost also told the Post-Dispatch for Sunday editions that Danton had asked him a week ago to help set up counseling for him for fears and other emotional problems.

"He had things he wanted to get off his chest and he needed help to do so," Frost said. "We were setting something up for him for the end of the season."

Weight said what Danton does in his personal life is his own business and shouldn't have been a problem for the team.

"Let's preface it by saying who knows what the situation is," Weight said. "There's rumors of what went on and who exactly was involved with this so-called thing.

"Let's not jump to conclusions, but you know what, hypothetically I think it would be fine. I'd like to think people are bigger than that and look into the person as a person and as a teammate."

Danton, formerly known as Mike Jefferson, was suspended twice for disciplinary reasons by the New Jersey Devils last season before being traded to St. Louis last June. He had seven goals, 12 points and 141 penalty minutes in 68 games this season — all career highs — with the Blues.

In one game, although he was at a decided disadvantage, he tried to goad Vancouver tough guy Todd Bertuzzi into a fight.

"I don't know a tougher guy than him, I don't know a guy that goes in the corner and gets killed and that will drop his gloves with a guy who's 40 pounds heavier in a flash," Weight said. "He's tough as nails."

Some teammates were hoping the arrest was just a misunderstanding.

"He brings a great presence to the dressing room, so it's just real tough to see him go through this," defenseman Bryce Salvador said. "I really do feel like he's family. It's unfortunate, because he's a great guy."

Others wanted him to know he was in their thoughts.

"We're worried about his life right now and what he's going through," Weight said. "It's a scary thought.

"I feel for him and I'm praying for him."

Too bad we didn't have this thread around when Tonya Harding was a bad little girl.

Dennis Rodman pleads no contest to DUI

LAS VEGAS, Nevada (Court TV/AP) — Former NBA star Dennis Rodman pleaded no contest to drunken driving in an October motorcycle crash outside a Las Vegas striptease club.

Rodman, 42, was not required to appear for Monday's plea in Las Vegas Municipal Court. His lawyer, Karen Winckler, entered the plea on his behalf.

A judge fined Rodman $1,000, ordered him to serve 30 days of home detention, and required him to use a device in Nevada that will measure his blood-alcohol content before he can start his car for the next year to prevent him from driving after drinking alcohol.

Rodman was treated for minor injuries and released after he crashed a motorcycle Oct. 19 while doing stunts outside a strip club.

Rodman played with the Long Beach Jam of the American Basketball Association this season. He last played in the NBA in 2000 with Dallas.

Paulina Rubio Testifies in Suit Over Gig

LOS ANGELES, California (AP) - Mexican pop star Paulina Rubio, who is being sued for allegedly skipping out on a gig last year, ceded little ground to plaintiff's attorneys in testifying briefly Wednesday.

The petite Rubio, who wore a pink argyle sweater, a flowing white skirt and white boots, was accompanied by her mother and brother. She gripped her brother's hand at she sat in court before testifying.

Rubio, 33, failed to appear in a planned performance for the news media at the unveiling of a new Mercedes-Benz model, according to the complaint filed in April 2003 by Pacific Communications Group.

Rubio's lawyers say she never signed a contract to attend. Attorneys for Pacific Communications maintain e-mailed and oral agreements with her managers were enough to confirm her appearance.

Rubio spoke through a translator to answer questions from Pacific attorney Gerry Fox in the case's sixth day of testimony. She was expected to return to the stand Thursday.

When Fox repeatedly asked her whether her former manager, Ricardo Cordero of Sancord Productions, did everything for her, an exasperated Rubio said, "Well, he didn't dress me. He didn't wash my clothes."

After the hearing, Rubio's attorney Howard Fredman said the singer had agreed to perform three songs for below her normal asking price of $100,000 because she thought it was part of a larger tour and sponsorship deal with Mercedes-Benz.

"Our whole case is based on the premise that her manager was promised a $1 million tour if she appeared at this event for $30,000."

Fredman said Rubio backed out of the Mercedes-Benz show after her managers failed to get confirmation from Pacific that the auto company would back her tour.

"She smelled a rat," he said.

Fox said Rubio's manager misrepresented to them and to Mercedes-Benz that she was planning a world tour which they could sponsor, when actually she was only planning a North American tour. He said Mercedes-Benz wanted to meet with her management team and see her perform before signing a sponsorship deal.

"She's a lovely woman and a talented performer, but her managers made a lot of mistakes," he said outside the courtroom.

Cordero told Pacific last year that Rubio couldn't attend the event because she was sick. Rubio later refuted Cordero's claim, saying she had been vacationing in Acapulco, Mexico.

Rapper Rakim arrested moments before concert on 2001 paternity warrant

GARDEN CITY, N.Y. (Court TV/AP) — Rapper Rakim was arrested on a 2001 warrant by deputies from the Suffolk County sheriff's department minutes before he was scheduled to perform at a Manhattan concert hall, a sheriff's spokesman said Wednesday.

Rakim, whose real name is William Griffin, was set to perform at the Roseland auditorium just before 11 p.m. Tuesday when deputies took him into custody, Chief Alan Otto said.

"It stemmed from a warrant issued in 2001 regarding a paternity matter and an issue of nonpayment of support," Otto said.

He said the rapper "kind of knew we were looking for him" and surrendered without incident.

Griffin, 36, originally from Wyandanch, appeared before a Suffolk County family court hearing officer Wednesday and was ordered to pay $2,000 in child support pending the resolution of his case.

Following the payment, Griffin was freed and ordered to return to family court on May 26.

Griffin's lawyer, Robert Kalina, said his client was not aware that a warrant had been issued and insisted the rapper has made child support payments for his 14-year-old son since the boy was born.

"Over the years there have been disputes between him and the mother of the child, financial disputes," Kalina said. "If he was aware that a warrant had been issued, he certainly would have gone to court."

The lawyer also contended that Griffin was current with his payments, but paid the $2,000 on Wednesday "out of an abundance of caution."

Kalina also lamented that authorities could have taken the rapper into custody following Tuesday night's performance "so the fans could have gotten what they paid for."

Rakim and former partner Eric B. are best known for their classic 1987 album "Paid in Full."

Bobby Brown ordered to stand trial for hitting Whitney Houston

ATLANTA, Georgia (Court TV/AP) — Bobby Brown was ordered Wednesday to stand trial on charges that he hit superstar wife Whitney Houston.

The R&B singer is charged with misdemeanor battery for allegedly striking Houston in the face at their home near Alpharetta in December, leaving her with a bruised cheek and a cut inside her lip.

Judge Barry Zimmerman ruled there was enough evidence to continue with the case. Brown was ordered to turn himself over to authorities on July 10 or July 11 for fingerprinting, when he would be released on $2,000 bond.

The judge warned Brown not to have "violent contact" with Houston.

Brown and Houston exchanged smiles during the brief hearing, and left the courtroom arm-in-arm. They made no comment to reporters waiting outside.

Brown's lawyer, Maurice Bennett, said the judge's decision had been expected.

Simple battery is punishable by up to a year in jail and a $1,000 fine. The charge is usually dismissed on a first offense in a domestic violence case if the defendant undergoes counseling.

No date was set for the case to be heard in state court. "It could be as much as a year down the road," said senior court clerk Lanny Lipsky.

Houston called police Dec. 7 to report that Brown threatened to beat her "and then struck the left side of her face with an open right hand," a Fulton County police report said.

In a recent interview on the TV program "Dateline NBC," the 35-year-old singer described the incident as a "little spat." He said the two were playfully "slap boxing" and Houston took one of his jabs a "little serious."

"I got big hands, man. I would hurt her, you know? It would be more than just a little cut on the lip," Brown said.

Houston's publicist in Los Angeles, Nancy Seltzer, didn't return messages left by The Associated Press.

Brown and Houston, 40, have been married since 1992 and have a 10-year-old daughter, Bobbi Kristina.

He left R&B group New Edition in the late 1980s for a solo career. His hits include "My Prerogative" and "Every Little Step," but he has become more famous for his numerous brushes with the law and his turbulent marriage with Houston.

In February, Brown spent a month in jail for multiple probation violations before being released a month early for a hearing in a paternity lawsuit in Massachusetts. He spent a night in jail before paying more than $60,000 in back child support for two of his children.

Prosecutor accuses Tom Sizemore of violating parole terms for abusing Fleiss

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Actor Tom Sizemore has violated the terms of probation imposed for abusing ex-girlfriend and former Hollywood madam Heidi Fleiss, a prosecutor said Monda

Prosecutors allege that Sizemore "tested dirty" for drugs in early March, according to defense attorney Mark Werksman, who filed a response under seal Monday.

"We're asking the court and the public to withhold judgment 'til we have a hearing and have the opportunity to prove that this allegation is bogus," he said.

Deputy City Attorney Robert Cha said he alleged the probation violation in a motion April 29. He declined to provide specifics, saying only, "I didn't file this motion for no reason, with nothing to support it."

Sizemore, a star of "Black Hawk Down" and "Saving Private Ryan," was sentenced in October to six months in jail on misdemeanor charges of harassing, annoying and physically abusing Fleiss during the two years that they had a relationship. The judge postponed the jail term to allow Sizemore to complete a live-in program at a drug rehabilitation center.

He is tested for drugs regularly under terms of his probation.

Sizemore is currently in Canada shooting a new police television series, Werksman said. The 42-year-old actor has been tapped to play Pete Rose in an upcoming made-for-television movie called "Hustle."

Country singer Glen Campbell pleads guilty to DUI

PHOENIX (AP) — Country singer Glen Campbell pleaded guilty Monday to extreme drunken driving and leaving the scene of an accident.

Under the plea agreement in Maricopa County Superior Court, Campbell faces 10 days in jail when he is formally sentenced June 14. He'll be eligible for work furlough after 48 hours and is expected to serve 75 hours of community service under the deal.

An aggravated assault charge was dropped.

Campbellwas arrested in November near his Phoenixhome after leaving the scene of a minor traffic accident. He was accused of kneeing a police officer after being taken into custody. The officer wasn't hurt.

Extreme drunken driving applies to a blood-alcohol level of 0.15 or higher. Police said breath tests on Campbellshowed he had a 0.20 blood-alcohol level at the time of his arrest. The legal limit for Arizonadrivers is 0.08.

The 68-year-old singer has lived in Arizonafor more than two decades. His hits include "Rhinestone Cowboy," "Galveston," "Gentle on My Mind" and "By the Time I Get to Phoenix."

Ja Rule arrested for pot possession, charge dropped

NEW YORK (AP) — Rapper Ja Rule and tap dance sensation Savion Glover were charged Thursday with misdemeanor possession of marijuana and driving without licenses in unrelated incidents.

Ja Rule, whose real name is Jeffrey Atkins, was pulled over at 2:19 a.m. in his 2001 Mercedes-Benz on Sixth Avenue in Greenwich Village after police spotted him changing lanes without signaling, police spokesman Sgt. John Grimpel said.

The officers found a small amount of marijuana in his possession, Grimpel said.

Glover, the star of the Tony Award-winning musical "Bring in 'Da Noise, Bring in 'Da Funk," was pulled over in his 1997 BMW at 1:10 p.m. on Houston Street in lower Manhattan after making three lane changes without signaling, Grimpel said.

Glover also had a small amount of marijuana in his possession, Grimpel said.

Ja Rule, 28, of Saddle River, N.J., pleaded guilty to driving with a suspended license before Manhattan Criminal Court Judge Shondia Simpson and paid $550 in fines and court fees. The misdemeanor possession charge apparently was dropped.

Prosecutors told the judge that the rapper had an open warrant in Queens from June 7, 1996, for resisting arrest. The judge ordered him to appear in Queens Criminal Court on July 7 to respond to that warrant.

Ja Rule and his lawyer refused to comment after the hearing.

Glover, 30, appeared before the same judge. He had told police that "I have a bag of marijuana in my left pocket," prosecutors said.

The judge released the tap dancer on his own recognizance and ordered him to return to court Aug. 18.

Glover refused to comment after his hearing.

In 1996, Glover pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of disorderly conduct after he was accused of carrying three small bags of marijuana in his truck. The case was dismissed after he completed 50 hours of community service.

Glover, a native of Montclair, N.J., was a regular on "Sesame Street" and starred in the Spike Lee movie "Bamboozled."

Ja Rule, the deep-throated, multiplatinum rapper from Hollis, Queens, also has acted in several movies, including "The Fast and the Furious" and "Half Past Dead."

Actor Don Johnson ordered to pay $6K grocery tab

ASPEN, Colo. (AP) — Actor Don Johnson has been ordered to pay a grocery store nearly $6,000 for an unpaid tab.

Pitkin County District Judge Erin Fernandez-Ely said Johnson must pay $5,470 for his past-due balance at Clark's Market, along with $426.85 in interest and court costs of $101.

Johnson did not file a response to Clark's lawsuit.

In May his 17-acre ranch near Aspen was put on sale amid a bankruptcy filing.

Johnson, who starred in TV's "Miami Vice" and "Nash Bridges" and appeared in the movie "Tin Cup," bought the ranch 16 years ago, said Joshua Saslove, the real estate broker listing the property.

Los Angeles-based City National Bank sued Johnson in March, seeking to force an auction of the property to recoup $930,000 it claimed Johnson owed.

Country singer Mindy McCready charged with prescription drug fraud

FRANKLIN, Tenn. (AP) — Country singer Mindy McCready has been charged with prescription drug fraud after authorities said she used a fake prescription to obtain the pain medicine OxyContin.

McCready, 28, was arrested Thursday at her home in Nashville by agents with the 21st Judicial Drug Task Force, according to the Williamson County Sheriff's Department.

Authorities say McCready presented a fraudulent prescription for OxyContin at a pharmacy on Feb. 12, paid for the drugs and then left. Investigators later learned that McCready was not a patient at the doctor's office from which the prescription purportedly originated.

McCready was booked into the county jail and held on $10,000 bond. She posted bail and was released the same day.

The singer had a No. 1 hit in 1996 with "Guys Do It All the Time." Her other hits include "Ten Thousand Angels" and "A Girl's Gotta Do (What a Girl's Gotta Do)."

What does Mindy need drugs for??? Have you seen who her hubby is??? He is a hotty! I could find better things to do than pain pills....

wx247 wrote:Too bad we didn't have this thread around when Tonya Harding was a bad little girl.

Garrett - yup, there would have been a daily update just on Tonya alone. She still seems to cause trouble. Can't think of a specific incident lately but whenever I hear Tonya Harding news, she's done something bizarre again.

I'll never forget her stopping her performance and skating over the judges, putting her skate/leg up to show them her lace was broken. The look on her face! My husband and I both said - what next?

Mary