Latest news with #legalcharges
News24
a day ago
- News24
Diddy sued for $500k as sex worker alleges deception and coercion
Plaintiff Michael Ejiawoko is demanding $500 000 from Combs for emotional distress, legal fees and other charges. Diddy and some hotel employees stand accused of violating the Trafficking Victims Protection Act that protects immigrants. Legal experts are yet to speak about how this may affect the overall outcome. Less than a month after Sean Combs, also known as Diddy, jubilantly reacted with 'I'm coming home, baby' after being found not guilty of racketeering conspiracy, new criminal charges against the disgraced hip-hop mogul have surfaced. On Friday, sex worker Michael Ejiawoko filed a complaint in a Los Angeles court, alleging that in 2018, Combs deceived him into believing he would be engaging in consensual sex work with adult women, when that was not the case, hip-hop news website AllHipHop reports. According to the website, Ejiawoko alleges that he later discovered that the women had been coerced and drugs were also administered without his or the women's consent. He is demanding $500 000 from Combs for mental and emotional distress and legal fees, among other things. I do not believe that Diddy is remorseful about all of the horrible things he has done to people. If anything, he feels victimised and unfairly targeted as a black successful man. — 🇵🇸 (@ValenciaN___) May 20, 2025 According to Ejiawoko's lawsuit, employees at the five-star Las Vegas hotel, The Palazzo and the luxurious London West Hollywood allegedly helped Combs make bookings under the alias Mr Star. The charges levelled against Combs and his alleged accomplices include sexual battery, civil conspiracy and other violations of the federal Trafficking Victims Protection Act. The Act protects eligible foreign victims by prohibiting forced labour, trafficking concerning peonage, slavery, involuntary servitude, or forced labour and sex trafficking of children or by force, fraud, or coercion. 'The hotel staff failed to report or investigate clear signs of illegal conduct,' said Ejiawoko's lawyer, Jonathan Evans. They escorted Mr Ejiawoko and other participants in the encounters to and from rooms, cleaning and removing paraphernalia used in the encounters, including oils and drug-related items. Jonathan Evans The charge of transporting individuals for sex work which Combs was found guilty of carries a maximum jail term of 20 years. Wdym Diddy is not guilty on most of his charges? — Hell is a teenage girl. (@hrhbitch__) July 2, 2025 However, a few weeks ago, criminal defence attorney and former Connecticut prosecutor Ryan McGuigan, who shared his professional opinion on the case, predicted that Combs' sentence would most likely be between 21 and 42 months. There have been no media reports on what McGuigan makes of these new charges and what they could mean for the case, given that Combs' acquittal on the other charges weakened the possible overall outcome.
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Daily Mail
Shock update after marketing executive Claire Austin partially severed her arm on a glass door and died during an argument with her boyfriend
An executive whose girlfriend died after partially severing her arm on a glass door during an argument has been charged over the alleged assault of another woman. Lee Robert Loughlin, 44, has never been charged over the horror incident which saw his partner Claire Austin, 38, reportedly run through the glass door between a bedroom and sunroom of their Randwick flat in Sydney 's eastern suburbs on April 12. Loughlin, who runs Lead Group and Vidaura recruitment companies, was charged on June 16 with assault occasioning actual bodily harm over an alleged incident with another woman. The alleged incident occurred in November 2023 and is unrelated to Ms Austin, with the unidentified woman making a complaint to police after news of the 38-year-old's death made headlines, the Daily Telegraph reported. Daily Mail Australia does not suggest Loughlin was in any way responsible for the death of Ms Austin. Loughlin and Ms Austin, 38, were living on the top floor of a Randwick Street apartment when she reportedly severed an artery in her arm during a disagreement. Neighbours told Daily Mail Australia they heard 'fighting constantly' between the two, but on the Saturday she was fatally wounded the shouting began at around 7am and 'sounded way worse'. A concerned neighbour rang Triple Zero and paramedics rushed Ms Austin to St Vincent's Hospital where she was placed on life support. The 38-year-old marketing and events consultant, who was from the UK but had been living in Australia for ten years, died three days later on April 15. Loughlin was taken to Maroubra Police Station for questioning before being admitted to a mental health facility for several days. An Apprehended Violence Order taken out by police on behalf of Ms Austin was dismissed after she died. NSW Police at the time had labelled Ms Austin's death suspicious, but no charges have been laid over the incident. 'The investigation is ongoing,' a spokesman said. One of the Randwick neighbours who claimed to have heard a row before Ms Austin's catastrophic injury said it had 'sounded like something wrong would happen'. 'I heard the woman at first and it worried me. Then I heard the man. I think I heard a crash and then I didn't hear the woman again,' he said. The neighbour added he then heard a man screaming 'somebody help me' over and over. He said after the crashing sound and the woman going quiet, someone had called Triple Zero and soon after the ambulance and police arrived in the street. After being told she would not survive her injuries, Ms Austin's family flew from the UK to Sydney and arrived just hours before she passed away. Ms Austin had worked at The Do Collective, a Sydney marketing company, until the month before she died, when she had moved on to a new media company as an events producer. Following her death, her former colleagues from The Do Collective arrived at the apartment block where she had lived, placed flowers and mementoes outside and paid tribute to her memory. They told Daily Mail Australia that Ms Austin was 'a lovely person' who embraced life and had a large group of friends. One of the cards left for Ms Austin read: 'To the sweetest soul, it was an honour to have known you. Your presence is truly missed. 'Thank you for all your love and support - words can't describe how painful this is. Rest in peace Claire.' Ms Austin's family members are believed to have spent several weeks in Sydney following her death before returning back home.
France 24
22-07-2025
- Business
- France 24
France's culture minister to be tried on corruption charges
Dati, a 59-year-old who holds ambitions to become Paris mayor next year, was charged in 2019 on suspicions she lobbied for the Renault-Nissan carmaking group while at the European Union institution. She denies the allegations. Dati is accused of accepting 900,000 euros ($1.06 million at current rates) in lawyer's fees between 2010 and 2012 from a Netherlands-based subsidiary of Renault-Nissan, but not really working for them, while she was an MEP from 2009 to 2019. Investigations have sought to determine whether she was in fact lobbying in the European Parliament for the carmaker, an activity that is forbidden. French investigating magistrates also ordered that Carlos Ghosn, the ex-tycoon of Renault-Nissan, be tried, the judicial source said. The 71-year-old, who has been living in Lebanon for years after escaping arrest in Japan, has also rejected the charges against him. A hearing on September 29 will decide on the date of the trial, the source said. According to another source following the case, the trial could be held after the Paris municipal elections, which will be held in March next year. Dati, a daughter of working-class North African immigrants, has repeatedly sought without success to have the charges against her quashed. Ghosn, the former chairman and chief executive of the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi alliance, was arrested in Japan in November 2018 on suspicion of financial misconduct, before being sacked by Nissan's board in a unanimous decision. He jumped bail late the following year and made a dramatic escape from Japan hidden in an audio-equipment box, landing in Beirut, where he remains as an international fugitive. Both Japan and France have sought his arrest. © 2025 AFP
Daily Mail
22-07-2025
- Daily Mail
Ex-AFL player is hit with shocking new charges after allegedly attacking his MAFS star ex-girlfriend and 'almost killing her'
Former Fremantle Dockers player Ryan Crowley is facing six new domestic violence charges, with prosecutors alleging he attacked his ex-girlfriend 'to the point of almost killing her'. The 41-year-old appeared in Perth Magistrates Court on Tuesday over the historical charges, which are alleged to have taken place between 2019 and 2020. Mr Crowley was charged with one count of unlawful assault and one count of threatening to kill. Those charges are alleged to have taken place in September 2019. He is also facing one count of unlawful assault, one count of intention to harm, a count of deprivation of liberty and another count of deprivation of liberty in circumstances of aggravation. Those charges allegedly took place in March 2020. Five of the alleged offences were committed against his former girlfriend, Ms Lauren Dunn, a reality television star who appeared on the popular show Married at First Sight. The final charge relates to the alleged abuse of a separate woman. It is the second time in the space of two months that the former AFL player has appeared in court over domestic violence charges. Mr Crowley was granted bail in May after appearing in Perth Magistrates Court for nine separate domestic violence allegations, which relate to an alleged incident that took place in 2025 and also allegedly involved Ms Dunn. In relation to the historical charges, the court heard on Tuesday that Mr Crowley and Ms Dunn's relationship had taken place between 2018 and 2023. It was described as 'toxic' and 'highly volatile'. Ms Dunn has since left Western Australia to live in New South Wales but is understood to return to WA regularly for work. The police prosecutor told the Perth court that one witness had allegedly seen Mr Crowley assault Ms Dunn in 2020 'to the point of almost killing her'. The witness had 'expressed their concerns' as a result. The prosecutor said: 'The accused has shown a propensity for violence.' They added that Ms Dunn had received messages from Mr Crowley's friends, telling the former Married at First Sight star that they had seen videos of her that had allegedly shown her in a 'compromising' situation. The court also heard how Ms Dunn, who has over 245,000 followers on Instagram, had allegedly received messages from social media users, who had accused her of being a 'liar' and a 'psycho'. Crowley's legal counsel confirmed that he will plead not guilty to all of the charges. However, Magistrate Langdon told the court that should he be found guilty of all the charges he would be facing an immediate prison sentence. 'If you were convicted, you would be looking at an immediate custodial term,' Magistrate Langdon said. The Magistrate also granted Mr Crowley bail, despite opposition from prosecutors. Bail was granted subject to several conditions. One of those includes a $40,000 surety. His lawyers argued that there was 'zero basis' Mr Crowley wouldn't comply with his bail conditions, arguing that his Type One Diabetes would 'be difficult to maintain in custody'. Defence lawyers for Mr Crowley explained: 'He already suffered low blood sugar overnight … (the prison officers) only gave him an apple.' The conditions require Mr Crowley to surrender his passport, report to Northbridge Police Station twice a week, not go within 200m of Ms Dunn and remain in Western Australia. Mr Crowley retired from professional football back in 2016, having played for both Fremantle and Essendon. He will return to court on November 11.
Daily Mail
14-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Country singer Conner Smith charged after deadly car accident with elderly pedestrian
Country star Conner Smith has been charged after he struck and killed an elderly woman with his vehicle on the night of Sunday, June 8. The 24-year-old singer hit a woman identified as Dorothy Dobbins, 77, with his Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck in Nashville. Smith — who is signed to a subsidiary of Big Machine Records, Taylor Swift's old label — hit Dobbins when she was walking in a marked crosswalk. Dobbins was transported to Vanderbilt University Medical Center and died there, according to police, who noted that she lived near the crosswalk where Smith hit her. According to a statement released by the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department on July 10 Smith has been charged with Failure to Yield the Right of Way Resulting in Death (a Class A misdemeanor). Smith has been issued a misdemeanor state citation. He is to appear for booking on the citation on August 7. As a misdemeanor instead of a felony, the charge underscores a lack of criminal intent, a source told Smith's attorney, Worrick G. Robinson IV said in a statement: 'Conner is incredibly grateful to the MNPD for their time and efforts to carefully investigate this tragic accident and has continued to cooperate at all times. 'His thoughts remain with Ms. Dobbins' family, and he remains committed to honoring her memory with compassion by supporting efforts to improve pedestrian safety and help prevent future tragedies.' Smith posted his own statement to Instagram which read: 'Four weeks ago, I was involved in a tragic vehicle accident that resulted in the loss of a life. Not a day has gone by that I haven't grieved, prayed, and mourned for Ms. Dobbins and her family. 'My heart is broken in a way I've never experienced, and I still struggle to fully process the weight of it all. I ask that you continue to lift the Dobbins family up in prayer by name, asking for God's peace to surround them each day.' 'Out of respect for everyone involved and to give space for grieving, I made the decision to step away from shows these past few weeks. I have always found that making music and playing shows is a place of healing for me – but for this moment, it was important for me to take time away. 'I'm thankful to serve a God who is near to the brokenhearted, and I have leaned on Him every step of the way. Through tragedy, I have learned that God is more faithful than I could have ever known before.' Sources said Smith was 'not under the influence or distracted by his phone at the time of the crash.' They added Smith 'is encouraged by Nashville's efforts to improve safety at the crosswalk where the accident occurred, because since the incident, multiple signs have been installed to clearly indicate the crosswalk for both drivers and pedestrians, and a tree that had significantly obstructed the view of the crosswalk has been removed.' TMZ first reported that Smith had allegedly struck and killed Dobbins. Sources at the scene added that police quickly released the singer as he allegedly didn't show signs of obvious impairment The deadly incident occurred on the final day of CMA Fest 2025 in Nashville's Riverfront Park. Smith had performed at the festival on its Chevy Riverfront stage on Saturday, June 7, the day before the crash. Smith is a recording artist for Big Machine Records' sub-label Valory. He's best known for the viral hit I Hate Alabama, which was released in late 2021 and became a sensation with TikTok users. Buzz from the song led to his record deal, which he inaugurated with his 2022 EP Didn't Go Too Far. His 2023 singles Take It Slow and Creek Will Rise have both been certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), and the latter run also became a top-20 hit on Billboard's US Country Airplay chart.
