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‘1,000-Lb. Sisters’ star banned from zoo in plea deal

homesafetytechpros — Sat, 21 Dec 2024 14:34:25 +0000

Amy Slaton Halterman appears in court to plead guilty to drug charges on Thursday, Dec. 19, 2024 (WLBT).

“1000-lb Sisters” reality TV star Amy Slaton Halterman admitted to drug charges stemming from her arrest at a drive-through safari park in Tennessee, where deputies found her in a car with marijuana, mushrooms and her two kids after she called police to report a camel bit her.

As part of the plea deal, she and her co-defendant, Brian Scott Lovvorn, were sentenced on Thursday to two years probation, ordered to pay $1,000 and were barred from the Tennessee Safari Park. A felony marijuana charge was reduced to simple possession, and two child neglect charges were dismissed.

“This is the Season of Giving and we understand that Amy Halterman and Brian Lovvorn are the pride and joy of the State of Kentucky and they will now be back in Kentucky for the Holidays,” Crockett County District Attorney General Frederick Agee said in a statement to Memphis CBS affiliate WREG.

As Law&Crime reported, the incident unfolded at the park, where guests can drive through in their cars and view the animals, including camels, up close.

The Crockett County Sheriff’s Office, heading its press release with “FROM FEEDING A CAMEL TO THE SLAMMER” and commenting on the “no ordinary Labor Day” nature of the case, said its investigation began with a report of a guest bitten by a camel and led to a car with “suspicious odors.”

Investigators said the mushrooms and marijuana were in the vehicle and that children were endangered at the time.

“Upon arrival, deputies were immediately overtaken by suspicious odors coming from the guest’s vehicle,” authorities said, appearing to identify the car as Slaton Halterman’s and Brian Lovvorn as a passenger.

Both were taken to the Crockett County Jail on two child endangerment counts and drug possession charges, the sheriff’s office said.

Slaton Halterman has appeared on five seasons of “1000-Lb. Sisters” along with her sister Tammy, a show on their lives and weight loss journeys.

Slaton Halterman, after losing nearly 200 pounds, became a mother of two sons, has said, “[b]eing a mom is what I’ve wanted to do since I was 5 years old and I’ve always wanted two kids.”

But in the aftermath of a divorce last year from her husband Michael, the father of her children, she said the state of her mental health was the “worst it’s ever been.”

Matt Naham contributed to this report.

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Teen learns fate in killing of son of reality TV star

homesafetytechpros — Thu, 05 Dec 2024 21:14:28 +0000

Top inset: Alex Shirley (Dignity Memorial). Middle inset: Sophie Hagy (WRAL). Bottom inset: Nathan Christopher Jackson (Johnston County Jail). Background: The location near where Shirley was fatally shot and Hagy was left paralyzed from the waist down (WNCN).

A North Carolina gang member who was 16 years old when he fired a barrage of bullets into a car, killing one and paralyzing the victim’s friend, has learned his fate.

Nathan Christopher Jackson, 18, was sentenced to life in prison with parole possible after 40 years in the 2022 shooting that killed Alex Shirley, 21, and paralyzed his friend, Sophie Hagy. Before being sentenced, Jackson was found guilty of first-degree murder, attempted murder and discharging a firearm into a vehicle, inflicting serious injury.

Shirley’s mother, Kristi Lee, described her mixed emotions to the outcome to local NBC affiliate WRAL.

“I felt a lot of relief,” Lee said. “It’s not closure. You don’t get closure when you have to bury your child and see the gruesome things that we saw.”

“It has actually decimated my world,” she added. “I still say goodnight to an empty bedroom. I text his cellphone. The dogs still go into his room looking for him every day.”

Alex Shirley’s father, Ron Shirley, the host of the reality TV show “Lizard Lick Towing,” told WRAL what he learned after the outcome of his son’s murder case.

“If I leave this courthouse and this trial with anything else, I want people to know that you have to learn to forgive no matter what, and you have to learn to love no matter how hard,” he said.

The bloodshed happened on Feb. 17, 2022. Jackson and a co-defendant, both identified as members of the Nine Trey Bloods gang, walked up to a car in Garner, just south of Raleigh, North Carolina, and unleashed a hail of 20 bullets into the vehicle that Shirley and Hagy were in. Shirley died at the scene. Hagy was left paralyzed from the waist down. A third person in the vehicle suffered non-life-threatening injuries.

Shirley and Hagy were shot while attending a memorial service to support the loss of a peer who was killed in a car crash, her GoFundMe page said.

WRAL reported that in addition to Jackson, three others were charged in the shooting, while a fifth was being sought. A call from Law&Crime to prosecutors seeking an update on the status of the defendants was not immediately returned.

Hagy was described on her GoFundMe page as beautiful and kind, with her entire life ahead of her.

“Sophie is now paralyzed following a shooting that took place while she was attending a memorial service,” the page said. “As she innocently attended the balloon release to support the loss of another peer who had been killed tragically in a car accident, Sophie was shot twice in her back.”

“As expected, Sophie is in shock, overwhelmed by emotion, and is having a difficult time processing what has happened,” the site added.

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Mom of YouTube star settles with teenagers who sued her

homesafetytechpros — Thu, 10 Oct 2024 01:09:31 +0000

Left: HOLLYWOOD, CA — NOVEMBER 21: Piper Rockelle participates in the 2nd Annual Toys For Tots Toy Drive held at The Industry Loft Space on November 21, 2020 in Hollywood, California. (Albert L. Ortega/Getty Images). Right: Tiffany Smith (Piper Rockelle/YouTube). Inset: Former members of the Piper Squad (Getty Images).

A group of teenagers have settled a lawsuit with the mother of a popular YouTube star over allegations of sexual abuse and retaliation, according to an attorney representing them.

In January 2022, the teenagers sued Tiffany Smith, 41, the mother of online phenom Piper Rockelle, in a Los Angeles County court — alleging numerous counts of sexual battery, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and that she tried to destroy their YouTube careers after they stopped working with her daughter.

Each of the 11 plaintiffs had previously been a member of the eponymous “Piper Squad,” a group dedicated to creating various short-form videos that appeared on Rockelle’s YouTube channel.

In a statement posted on X on Tuesday, plaintiffs attorney Matt Sarelson said the matter was settled and called it the “most complicated and high profile case of my career.”

The civil lawsuit alleged a parade of horribles allegedly uttered by Smith while she oversaw her daughter’s content creation machine.

One time, Smith allegedly commented on the size of a girl’s breasts. Another time, she allegedly referred to two boys as “horny bastards” while they held hands with two girls. And, in a particularly disturbing claim, allegedly explained that she was mailing her daughter’s dirty underwear to someone because “old men like to smell this stuff.”

The lawsuit also claims Smith boasted of the fine line between sexualized content and exploitation of children — allegedly claiming to be the “madam” or “pimp” of YouTube and even allegedly saying she “makes kiddie porn.”

“The allegations are very disturbing,” Sarelson told Law&Crime’s Angenette Levy last year. Five of the children are making some kind of a claim for actual battery but all 11 of the kids have similar allegations of abuse — comments. “It’s important to understand what these videos are about. These are kids who are scripted to have sort of fake boyfriends and fake girlfriends and to interact with these other kids. So, sure some of the allegations in this case include, you know, lots of inappropriate language and commentary about my clients’ genitalia, their sexual history or activity — which was which was essentially non-existent because these are young kids as young as nine.”

The lawsuit also alleges Smith showed one of the children a popular pornography website. In one instance, Rockelle’s mother allegedly discussed sex toys with a group of teenagers — and even asked one boy if his testicles had dropped.

One girl alleged Smith rubbed her exposed thighs and moved her hand toward her vagina, repeatedly spanked her, and used her finger to poke her in the backside over her clothing.

After the plaintiffs left the show, Smith, Rockelle, and Smith’s live-in boyfriend, Hunter Hill, who directed many of the videos, allegedly went after their own YouTube channels, according to the lawsuit.

“My youth was stripped away at a very young age because of Tiffany Rockelle,” one of the plaintiffs said in a statement provided to Law&Crime. “This lawsuit was never about money — it was to make sure she couldn’t do what she did to me to another kid.”

Each of the plaintiffs initially sought $2 million in damages.

Due to the confidential terms of the agreement, the public may never know what each of the teenagers received in the settlement.

“We didn’t pursue this lawsuit to change the industry, but to bring awareness that predators can be found in any field,” Angela Sharbino, a parent of one of the plaintiffs, said. “This was about holding the person who harmed our kids accountable.”

In the lawsuit, the plaintiffs described a damaging work environment where they were coerced into inappropriate content and subjected to psychological abuse. The lawsuit claims Smith, in particular, made the children believe their self-worth was related to their performances — while discouraging independence and dissent.

“I want to publicly commend these 11 kids. They’re smart and brave,” Sarelson said. “What they went through was grotesque. I look forward to watching them thrive as young adults.”

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Warrant details how TikTok star allegedly murdered therapist

homesafetytechpros — Fri, 04 Oct 2024 01:33:37 +0000

Left: Terryon Thomas (Dallas County Jail). Right: William Abraham (NickAbraham.net). Right background: The stretch of highway where Abraham’s body was found (Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff’s Office).

A TikTok star with tens of thousands of followers is behind bars after allegedly killing a therapist and leaving his body wrapped in a blue tarp along the side of a highway, police in Louisiana say.

Terryon Ishmael Thomas, 20, known as “Mr. Prada,” stands accused of one count each of murder in the second degree and obstruction of justice, according to the East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office.

Authorities allege the defendant killed William Nicholas Abraham, 69, by way of blunt force trauma at an apartment in Baton Rouge late last month. Then, Thomas allegedly secreted the body, albeit haphazardly, using the victim’s own car, to a stretch of tree-lined interstate.

On Sept. 29, at around 8:25 a.m., Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff’s Office deputies were called to the scene of a suspicious item found just north of Louisiana Highway 10 along U.S. Route 51 in Fluker — an unincorporated community some 70 miles northeast of Baton Rouge.

“During the initial investigation, TPSO Detectives located a blue tarp on the east side of U.S. Highway 51,” the arrest warrant obtained by Law&Crime reads. “When the item was cut open, the remains of a deceased white adult male were discovered. The body was found to be wrapped in a gray colored comforter with dark-colored duct tape used to wrap around the body. The head of the victim was found to be covered with a dark-colored towel. The victim appeared to have sustained blunt-force trauma to the head.”

Tangipahoa Parish investigators quickly ascertained that Abraham’s 2018 black Lincoln MKZ had gone missing, according to the warrant. A review of surveillance footage showed the car at a shopping center in Denham Springs — a small but fast-growing town some 15 miles due east of Baton Rouge and part of the broader metro area.

Additional surveillance footage showed Thomas exiting the car and inside at least one business at the shopping center, authorities allege. Deputies then advised fellow law enforcement — and the public writ large — to be on the lookout for the car and the defendant.

On Monday, East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office deputies spotted the car and attempted a traffic stop, the warrant says. The driver allegedly gave chase, crashed into another car, and then successfully eluded law enforcement on foot. Then, he was allegedly given a ride back home — to unit 423 at the Citiscape at Essen apartment complex in Baton Rouge.

A search warrant was subsequently obtained for the residence — while a manhunt for the defendant ensued across multiple states.

“Homicide Detectives discovered evidence that indicated a violent physical altercation ensued inside the apartment,” the arrest warrant reads. “A significant amount of blood was observed throughout the apartment, along with multiple sharp objects and other weapons. It should be noted that additional evidence indicated an apparent effort to discard evidence by cleaning the scene.”

A review of surveillance footage from the apartment complex allegedly showed Abraham arriving at around 11 a.m. on Sept. 28. In that footage, the victim was wearing the same clothes as when he was found dead inside the tarp, investigators say.

“According to witnesses, the accused was observed dragging an object wrapped in a blue-colored tarp hours after the victim was last seen alive,” the arrest warrant continues. “Witnesses further informed the accused appeared to be struggling while dragging the blue tarp down the stairs. The accused was observed loading the tarp into the victim’s vehicle.”

Authorities say blood recovered from inside the apartment with cotton swabs was tested by the Louisiana State Police crime lab and that those tests matched Abraham’s “DNA profile.”

Thomas was found and arrested in Dallas, Texas, on Oct. 1 and initially held on an extradition warrant. He was formally accused of murder by the East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office late Wednesday evening.

“I appreciate the work done by the Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff’s Office, Louisiana State Police and Crime Lab, Baton Rouge Police Department, U.S. Marshals Service and all others involved,” East Baton Rouge Sheriff Sid Gautreaux said in a statement. “This is an ongoing investigation that will take time to gather further evidence. I hope that this arrest may bring some closure and assurance to friends and family.”

Online speculation ran rampant about why the TikTok star allegedly murdered the therapist. Law enforcement disabused rumors that purported Thomas and Abraham had a doctor-patient relationship.

“The relationship of the suspect to the victim and the murder motive are still under investigation,” the sheriff’s office said. “At this time, there is no evidence to suggest that Thomas was a client of Abraham.”

Thomas has yet to be extradited to the Pelican State.

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Disbarred lawyer married to ‘Real Housewives’ star found competent to stand trial for alleged $15M embezzlement

homesafetytechpros — Sun, 07 Jan 2024 22:48:26 +0000

Criminal Justice

Disbarred lawyer married to ‘Real Housewives’ star found competent to stand trial for alleged $15M embezzlement

By Debra Cassens Weiss

January 4, 2024, 2:24 pm CST

Lawyer Tom Girardi was disbarred in June 2022. Girardi has been found competent to stand trial in Los Angeles for allegedly stealing $15 million from clients. Photo by Sipa USA via the Associated Press.

Disbarred plaintiffs lawyer Tom Girardi has been found competent to stand trial in Los Angeles for allegedly stealing $15 million from clients.

U.S. District Judge Josephine Staton of the Central District of California noted the competency finding in a docket entry, report Law.com, Law360 and Reuters. His lawyers have said he suffers from dementia.

Girardi, 84, is the estranged husband of Erika Girardi, who appeared on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills reality TV show. He was also an adviser to the movie Erin Brockovich and part of the successful legal team portrayed in the film that sued over contaminated groundwater. He currently lives in an assisted living facility.

Girardi is accused of stealing more than $15 million in Los Angeles. In Chicago, he is accused of misappropriating more than $3 million in settlement funds for five relatives of victims killed in the October 2018 crash of Indonesia’s Lion Air Flight 610.

Staton’s competency order is under seal. She has asked the parties to identify which parts of her order should remain sealed.

Girardi and his former law firm, Girardi Keese, have been forced into bankruptcy, according to Law360.

“Since Girardi Keese went bankrupt,” the article reports, “the trustee has filed over 100 complaints against casinos, former Girardi Keese employees and other law firms and companies, seeking a total of more than $140 million.”

“State bar finds ‘shocking past culture of unethical and unacceptable behavior’ in its handling of Girardi complaints”

“More than 1,700 California lawyers suspended for failure to comply with new trust account rules”

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