Latest news with #BeverlyHillsPoliceDepartment
Yahoo
23-04-2025
- Yahoo
Southern California man stole over $1.8 million through mail and identity theft scheme
A Southern California man was sentenced to prison for stealing over $1.8 million through mail theft, identity theft and bank fraud. Oren David Sela, 36, of North Hills, typically targeted residents in and around Beverly Hills by stealing mail and packages from their homes and using their personal information to open fraudulent bank accounts, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office. From November 2021 to October 2023, Sela would obtain debit cards, bank account numbers, Social Security numbers, and other personal information through stolen mail. He used the victims' information to gain access to their online bank and financial accounts. At times, he utilized SIM-swapping, which involves illegally obtaining a victim's phone number by transferring it to a new SIM card or porting the victim's phone number to gain temporary control over to defeat two-factor authentication protocols on their accounts, federal officials explained. Sela then opened additional accounts in the victims' names to transfer money into intermediary accounts that he controlled. 'He withdrew money from those accounts or used them to make purchases or transfers,' court documents said. 'He also caused debit or credit cards linked to victim accounts to be issued to him, so he could spend directly from those cards.' Through this method, Sela defrauded banks, made hundreds of fraudulent withdrawals and transfers, and successfully stole at least $1,818,369 from at least 62 victims. He often spent the stolen funds on expensive goods, including a nearly $17,000 watch, prosecutors said. Sela had been previously arrested for similar crimes. In 2022, he was arrested in Beverly Hills and found with nearly $25,000 in cash, various expensive items of jewelry, and numerous fraudulent debit and credit cards belonging to four elderly victims. Following his released, during two separate searches of his properties in 2022 and 2023, law enforcement found more than $70,000 in cash, many pieces of expensive jewelry, stolen mail, extensive stolen personal information, identification cards, debit and credit cards, banking information and more, all belonging to victims, officials said. Sela has been in federal custody since October 2023. In October 2024, he pleaded guilty to one count of bank fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft. On April 22, he was sentenced to 61 months in federal prison and ordered to pay $1,818,369 in restitution. The case was investigated by the U.S. Secret Service and the Beverly Hills Police Department. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
09-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
James Toback Hit With $1.7 Billion Verdict in Sex Assault Suit Involving 40 Women
Director James Toback, who was among the first to be singled out in the #MeToo scandal in 2017, was ordered on Wednesday to pay $1.68 billion after a sexual assault trial in New York. Toback, 80, was accused of abusing his power in the film industry to sexually assault women across four decades. 40 women testified at the seven-day trial, resulting in what their attorneys believe to be the largest sex assault verdict in state history. More from Variety Harvey Weinstein's Fate Puts Hollywood on Notice James Toback Will Not Face Charges in Los Angeles Harvey Weinstein, James Toback Under Investigation by Beverly Hills Police Department 'I think this jury spoke loud and clear,' said Brad Beckworth, an attorney for the plaintiffs, saying he had argued that the #MeToo movement had not gone far enough. 'We wanted their voice to be heard and to reverberate across the country to tell insiders and people in positions of power that we will not tolerate using that power against women.' Toback did not attend the trial. Earlier in the case, he issued a blanket denial, including a claim that any sexual activity was consensual. He was acting as his own attorney at the time. He did not show up for pre-trial hearings, leading to a default judgment against him. Toback did not respond to messages seeking comment on Wednesday. The six-member jury was convened to decide on damages. After deliberation, the jury awarded $280 million in compensatory damages and $1.4 billion in punitive damages. The attorneys will next have to assess whether Toback has any assets they can pursue. 'We'll try to recover it, but that's not the only motivating factor,' said Ross Leonoudakis, another plaintiffs' attorney. 'We saw a unique opportunity to help these survivors seek justice.' Toback wrote the 1991 film 'Bugsy,' and wrote and directed 'The Pick-up Artist' and 'Two Girls and a Guy.' He was accused of prowling the streets of New York for decades, looking for young women to invite to meetings with the promise of movie offers. He was accused of sexually assaulting them at the Harvard Club and at other locations around New York, including his apartment, his editing studio, and public parks. The accusers — most now in their 40s and 50s, and some in their early 70s — were allowed to bring the lawsuit under the New York Adult Survivors Act, which created a one-year window in which the statute of limitations was suspended for sexual assault. The suit was first filed in December 2022. Over the course of the trial, 20 women testified in person. Video depositions of another 20 women were also played for the jury. Mary Monahan, the lead plaintiff, said in a statement that the verdict represents 'validation.' 'For decades, I carried this trauma in silence, and today, a jury believed me,' Monahan said. 'Believed us. That changes everything. This verdict is more than a number — it's a declaration. We are not disposable. We are not liars. We are not collateral damage in someone else's power trip. The world knows now what we've always known: what he did was real. And what we did — standing up, speaking out — was right.' Karen Sklaire Watson, another plaintiff, said the verdict will make New York safer for women. 'We're drawing a line in the sand: Predators cannot hide behind fame, money, or power,' she said in a statement. 'Not here. Not anymore.' The plaintiffs initially sued the Harvard Club of New York, arguing the club was negligent in allowing Toback to use it for so many sexual assaults over so many years. The plaintiffs agreed to discontinue the case against the Harvard Club in January 2024. The L.A. Times first reported allegations against Toback from 38 women on Oct. 22, 2017, just two weeks after the New York Times reported a history of harassment claims against Harvey Weinstein. The report triggered an avalanche of similar allegations against numerous Hollywood figures, as well as new laws protecting sexual assault accusers and making it easier for them to bring lawsuits. 'We'll try to recover it, but that's not the only motivating factor,' said Ross Leonoudakis, Best of Variety New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week What's Coming to Disney+ in April 2025 The Best Celebrity Memoirs to Read This Year: From Chelsea Handler to Anthony Hopkins
Yahoo
31-03-2025
- Yahoo
Man sentenced for $2.6 million smash-and-grab heist at Beverly Hills jewelry store
A Long Beach man who prosecutors say took part in a $2.6 million smash-and-grab robbery at a Beverly Hills jewelry store, then posted incriminating evidence to Instagram, received a 7-year federal prison term on Monday. Ladell Tharpe, 39, pleaded guilty in September to one charge of interference with commerce by robbery, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. He was also ordered to pay $2.67 million in restitution during the sentencing hearing in federal court in Los Angeles. He's the last of three defendants to be sentenced in connection with the robbery, which unfolded on March 22, 2022 at Luxury Jewels of Beverly Hills, prosecutors said. "Tharpe and his accomplices, Deshon Bell, 22, (and) Jimmy Lee Vernon III, 33, both from Long Beach, as well as an unnamed minor drove three vehicles to a jewelry store in Beverly Hills and used sledgehammers and crow bars to break the glass surrounding the merchandise while employees and customers were present," according to a DOJ statement. They ultimately fled with at least 20 watches, 19 bracelets, eight rings, seven pairs of earrings, four necklaces and a pair of obelisks, officials said. The stolen baubles were valued at $2.674 million. One of the cars involved in the robbery had been reported stolen four days earlier, prosecutors added. It was left abandoned in front of the jewelry store. Tharpe, himself, provided investigators with an important lead, officials said. "Two days after the heist, Tharpe posted images of large amounts of cash on his Instagram with the text 'Robbery Gang,' the statement said. He was taken into custody in March of 2023. The investigation was also aided by the fact that Vernon dropped his cell phone at the crime scene, prosecutors said. It was recovered by detectives. Vernon and Bell both pleaded guilty to one count of interference with commerce by robbery, according to the DOJ. Vernon was sentenced to 80 months in federal prison and ordered to pay $2.67 million in restitution in December. Bell received a prison term of one year and one day at his sentencing in February of 2024. He was also ordered to pay $2.67 million in restitution. The status of the juvenile suspect's case was not available. The case was investigated by the Beverly Hills Police Department and the FBI. Acting U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California Joseph McNally said "brazen" crimes targeting small businesses "will not be tolerated." "The consequences for such action are severe and penalized accordingly, and I want to thank our law enforcement partners for their exceptional and dutiful work during this investigation," he said. Beverly Hills Police Department Chief Mark Stainbrook expressed gratitude to federal law enforcement officials for their help. 'We value our partnership with the FBI and the U.S. Attorney's Office and appreciate the investigators who relentlessly pursued and prosecuted those responsible for this crime," he said. Brian Day is a Southern California native. He has covered crime, public safety and breaking news in the region for more than 15 years. He joined the Victorville Daily Press in 2024. This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Man sentenced for smash-and-grab heist at Beverly Hills jewelry store
Yahoo
27-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Andrew Tate's GF Bri Stern Claims He Attacked Her During Sex, Files Police Report
One of Andrew Tate's girlfriends says he nearly choked her unconscious during a violent sexual encounter 2 weeks ago, prompting her to report the alleged incident to police ... TMZ has learned. Bri Stern filed a sexual assault report and she claims Andrew attacked her on March 11 while they were staying at the Beverly Hills Hotel … according to sources with direct knowledge. She's told police Tate began choking her while they were having sex, but it got too rough, and although she begged him to stop, he kept going. Bri says the more she struggled, the more violent he got … and she felt everything getting fuzzy, like she was fading into unconsciousness. Bri says the violence only stopped when Tate was done having sex, and once he fell asleep … she went to the bathroom to document her injuries. TMZ has obtained pics showing bruising on her face. Bri says she went to an emergency room in NYC -- where she'd flown for work -- a couple days later, and documents show she was diagnosed as "post-concussive." Andrew and his brother Tristan returned to Romania last weekend for a court date in their organized crime case -- and we're told it wasn't until Andrew left the country that Bri felt safe enough to go to police and file a report. TMZ also obtained screenshots of alleged text messages between Andrew and Bri ... and he talks about beating her. We also obtained a photo of Andrew with Kanye West ... and we're told they posed for the photo together in L.A. on March 10 ... only hours before the alleged choking incident between Andrew and Stern. Andrew took the photo with Kanye the same night Kim Kardashian yanked North West out of Kanye's recording studio after Ye invited the Tate brothers to join them. Our sources say Bri and Andrew met last June when she went to Romania for a modeling gig and they started dating. We're told Andrew was verbally abusive and threatening during the relationship, but the alleged choking incident was the first time he got physically violent. We're told Andrew had signaled to Brianna that he wanted to, essentially, pimp her out on OnlyFans ... and since the alleged incident she's blocked him on all social media and messaging platforms. As you know ... Andrew and Tristan were arrested back in 2022 for allegedly creating a criminal organization in Romania, and Andrew's been charged with rape in that country. They're also both facing sexual assault lawsuits in the U.S. and the UK. They have not been convicted of any crimes. We reached out to the Beverly Hills Police Department ... they declined to comment.
Express Tribune
19-02-2025
- Express Tribune
Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban's home burglarized amid South American spree
Actress Nicole Kidman and musician Keith Urban's Los Angeles residence was burglarized on Valentine's Day, according to a law enforcement source familiar with the investigation. Authorities reported that the break-in involved forced entry, with burglars ransacking the home and breaking glass, though it is not yet known whether any property was stolen. Representatives for Kidman and Urban did not immediately return a request for comment on Tuesday night. The incident occurred around the same time that Beverly Hills police arrested three individuals allegedly connected to burglaries linked to South American crews. The arrests followed a vehicle pursuit and crash near Rodeo Drive, a prominent shopping area in the city. In a related investigation, the Beverly Hills Police Department revealed that in January, five suspects were arrested in connection with a series of burglaries spanning multiple California locations. The investigations covered incidents in Glendale, San Marino, Los Angeles, Burbank, Pleasanton, Bakersfield, Ventura County, Orange County, and San Mateo County. Authorities have not confirmed any connection between these arrests and the South American crews' activities, although jail records indicate that at least one suspect is Colombian. The burglary at Kidman and Urban's home adds to a spate of high-profile break-ins targeting celebrity residences. On Feb. 5, the Southern California home of Los Angeles Football Club forward Olivier Giroud was burglarized, with police reporting that a significant amount of jewelry and valuables was taken. Additionally, residences belonging to NFL and NBA stars, including Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and NBA player Luka Dončić, have been targeted in recent months, prompting law enforcement agencies to issue warnings. Investigators are continuing their work to determine whether the incidents are part of a larger trend of high-end home burglaries. Authorities urge local residents to remain vigilant as investigations continue to uncover links to organized crime.
