US singer Chris Brown granted $8.6 million bail for world tour by UK court, Entertainment News
LONDON — US singer Chris Brown was granted bail by a London court on Wednesday (May 22) over a charge of serious assault after promising to pay a 5 million-pound (S$8.6 million) security fee, clearing the way for his world tour to begin next month.
Brown has been charged with inflicting grievous bodily harm in what prosecutors said was an "unprovoked attack" on music producer Abraham Diaw with a tequila bottle in a London nightclub in 2023.
The 36-year-old has not yet been asked to enter a plea to the charge. He was not present at Southwark Crown Court when Judge Tony Baumgartner granted him bail.
The R&B star, a two-time Grammy Award winner known for hits such as "Loyal", "Run It" and "Under the Influence", is set to kick off his "Breezy Bowl XX" tour on June 8 in the Netherlands.
Brown was arrested at a hotel in Manchester, northern England last week after returning to Britain for the first time since the incident two years ago.
He was initially refused bail on Friday, but was granted bail on Wednesday on the condition he pay 4 million pounds with a further 1 million pounds due in seven days.
Brown was also required to surrender his passport, except for when he is travelling for his tour.
He will next appear at London's Southwark Crown Court on June 20.
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Straits Times
23-05-2025
- Straits Times
An officer said she was disabled but prosecutors said she ran, skied and danced
Nicole Brown, who worked for the Westminster Police Department, was charged with 15 felonies related to workers' compensation insurance fraud. PHOTO: WESTMINSTER PDCA/X An officer said she was disabled but prosecutors said she ran, skied and danced CALIFORNIA - Nicole Brown, a police officer in Orange County, California, told her bosses in 2022 that she could no longer perform her duties after she sustained a head injury on the job. But according to prosecutors, whatever had happened to her didn't prevent her from running in road races, skiing or snowboarding, and dancing at a music festival while she illegally collected more than US$600,000 (S$775,000) in workers' compensation. This week, Brown, 39, who worked for the Westminster Police Department, was charged with 15 felonies related to workers' compensation insurance fraud, according to the Orange County District Attorney's Office. Her stepfather, Peter Gregory Schuman, 57, of Buena Park, California, was charged with two felonies charging him with conspiring with Brown. He is a lawyer who specialises in defending employers and insurance companies against workers' compensation claims. Brown was charged with nine felony counts of making a fraudulent statement to obtain compensation; six felony counts of making a fraudulent insurance benefit claim; and one felony enhancement of committing an aggravated white-collar crime worth over $100,000, court records show. Her lawyer, Mr Brian Gurwitz, said on May 22 that Brown's on-duty injury 'continues to cause her severe limitations in her daily life'. 'She intends to defend against these charges vigorously in court,' he said. Schuman was charged with one felony count of making a fraudulent insurance benefit claim and one felony count of assisting, abetting, conspiring with and soliciting a person in unlawful act, records show. It was not immediately clear if he had a lawyer, and he did not immediately respond to a phone message seeking comment. Brown was sworn in as a police officer in early 2019. About three years later, in March 2022, she suffered a 'minor abrasion to her forehead while attempting to arrest and handcuff an uncooperative suspect,' prosecutors said. She complained to her commander that she had a headache and was feeling dizzy, but an emergency room doctor who examined her that day released her and said that she could return to work without restrictions, prosecutors said. After she called out sick for several days, they added, Brown was given a diagnosis of severe concussion syndrome and placed on temporary disability leave. An investigation by the district attorney's office found that three days after the injury, in March 2022, when Brown – who volunteered as a youth soccer coach – had called out sick, she went to an American Youth Soccer Organisation conference in San Diego. Prosectors noted that she had attended multiple sessions that featured PowerPoint presentations. While she was out for the next year, prosecutors said, Brown fraudulently collected the compensation payments from the city. That included her full salary, which was tax-free, and all medical expenses. During her leave, Brown said that it was physically impossible for her to do her work because of headaches, dizziness, sensitivity to light and noise, an inability to work on a screen, and problems processing thoughts and words, according to prosecutors. But several people who knew she was on disability leave spotted her dancing and drinking on April 29, 2023, at the Stagecoach Music Festival, a country music celebration, prosecutors said. The festival, held in the Coachella Valley in the Colorado Desert region of Southern California, attracted about 75,000 people. It was a carnival-type atmosphere with plenty of loud music and bright lights, and temperatures hovering close to or above 100 deg Fahrenheit (37.7 deg C), prosecutors said. Someone reported the fact that she had attended the festival to the Westminster Police Department. It referred the matter to the district attorney's office, which opened the investigation. When Brown took part in a Police Department Zoom meeting three days after the festival to discuss what duties she could perform as a police officer, she said that she was unable to look at the screen, prosecutors said, adding that Schuman was also on the call to speak on her behalf. Schuman said in the meeting that Brown could not to do paperwork and that he was uncertain that she could handle phone calls because of her inability to process words or thoughts, authorities said. Later, Brown was admitted to an inpatient center for individuals who have a traumatic brain injury, they said. The inquiry into Brown also found that while out on disability, she ran in two 5km races and went snowboarding or skiing in Big Bear and Mammoth, two popular Southern California ski resorts, prosecutors said. She also is accused of going to more youth soccer conferences, attending baseball games, playing golf, visiting Disneyland and taking online courses, according to the investigation. Brown could face up to 22 years in prison and a loss of some of her pension if convicted of all charges. Schuman could face up to eight years in state prison and could be disciplined by the State Bar of California if convicted. NYTIMES Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
International Business Times
22-05-2025
- International Business Times
Southern California Cop Who Faked Injury to Claim $600K in Compensation Caught Partying, Dancing at Music Festival
A Southern California police officer was caught partying at the Stagecoach Music Festival while collecting more than $600,000 in workers' compensation for a head injury that prosecutors allege was faked. As reported by the Associated Press, Westminster police officer Nicole Brown, 39, was charged Monday with 15 felonies of workers' compensation and insurance fraud, the Orange County District Attorney's office said. She faces up to 22 years in prison if convicted. Brown Suffered Minor Injury While Trying to Arrest a Suspect, Became Eligible to Receive Disabled Workers' Compensation Brown was duty on March 21, 2022, when she received a "minor abrasion" to her forehead while trying to arrest an uncooperative suspect, according to prosecutors. She told her watch commander that she had a headache and was feeling dizzy. Though an emergency room doctor who examined her that day released her back to work without restrictions, she called out sick for several days and was diagnosed with a severe concussion about a week after the initial injury. She was placed on Total Temporary Disability, which made her eligible to receive her full salary for up to a year and two-thirds of her salary after that. While Brown Claimed She was Sick, She was at a Soccer Conference, She Claimed Disability Benefits While Participating in Races, Skiing, Playing Golf Later, investigators would find out that during the three days she called out sick after her injury, Brown went to several soccer conferences in San Diego. In the following year while collecting disability, she also ran in two 5K races, went snowboarding or skiing in Big Bear and Mammoth, attended baseball games, played golf, went to Disneyland and took online courses with a local university, prosecutors allege. "Mrs. Brown suffered a significant head injury when she was on duty," her attorney Brian Gurwitz said, "and she intends to vigorously fight these allegations." According to prosecutors, some of Brown's ongoing symptoms that she reported during this time were: headaches, dizziness, sensitivity to light and noise, and inability to look at a screen. Brown Came Under Investigation After She was Spotted 'Dancing and Drinking' at Music Festival The district attorney's office began their investigation into potential fraud after she was seen by several people "dancing and drinking" in April 2023 at the Stagecoach Music Festival, an annual country music festival held in the Coachella Valley with "loud music and bright lights everywhere." This was reported to the Westminster Police Department. Three days after the festival, Brown and her stepfather attended a Zoom meeting where she sat in a dark room and said she was unable to look at the screen. Her stepfather said she still could not do paperwork or take phone calls. After the meeting, she was admitted to an inpatient center for traumatic brain injury. Prosecutors say Brown collected more than $600,000 from the city of Westminster, which includes her full salary and medical expenses. Her stepfather Peter Schuman, 57, of Buena Park, has also been charged with two felonies related to insurance fraud and helping commit a crime. He is a licensed attorney in California and faces discipline from the state bar, prosecutors said. Schuman does not have an attorney listed and could not be reached for comment.
AsiaOne
22-05-2025
- AsiaOne
US singer Chris Brown granted $8.6 million bail for world tour by UK court, Entertainment News
LONDON — US singer Chris Brown was granted bail by a London court on Wednesday (May 22) over a charge of serious assault after promising to pay a 5 million-pound (S$8.6 million) security fee, clearing the way for his world tour to begin next month. Brown has been charged with inflicting grievous bodily harm in what prosecutors said was an "unprovoked attack" on music producer Abraham Diaw with a tequila bottle in a London nightclub in 2023. The 36-year-old has not yet been asked to enter a plea to the charge. He was not present at Southwark Crown Court when Judge Tony Baumgartner granted him bail. The R&B star, a two-time Grammy Award winner known for hits such as "Loyal", "Run It" and "Under the Influence", is set to kick off his "Breezy Bowl XX" tour on June 8 in the Netherlands. Brown was arrested at a hotel in Manchester, northern England last week after returning to Britain for the first time since the incident two years ago. He was initially refused bail on Friday, but was granted bail on Wednesday on the condition he pay 4 million pounds with a further 1 million pounds due in seven days. Brown was also required to surrender his passport, except for when he is travelling for his tour. He will next appear at London's Southwark Crown Court on June 20. [[nid:718069]]
