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Actor Christian Slater arrested in NY for groping

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Actor Christian Slater was charged on Tuesday with sexual abuse after reportedly groping a woman's buttocks while drunk, police said on Tuesday.

Slater, 35, was arrested at 2:30 a.m. in New York's Upper East Side and he was booked on a misdemeanor sexual abuse, police said. He faces 60 days in jail if convicted.

Slater is currently appearing on Broadway in "The Glass Menagerie" and has had numerous brushes with the law.

The star of the movies "Heathers," "True Romance," and "Untamed Heart" was arrested in 1997 for assaulting his girlfriend and a police officer while intoxicated on cocaine at a Los Angeles party. He was sentenced to 90 days in jail after pleading no contest.

In 1994, he was arrested for bringing a gun on an airplane.

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Russell Crowe Charged for Throwing Phone

By PAT MILTON, Associated Press Writer

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Russell Crowe was arrested and charged Monday for allegedly throwing a telephone at an employee of the Manhattan hotel where he was staying.

Crowe, 41, who plays a boxer in his latest film, "Cinderella Man," allegedly threw the phone at the concierge at the Mercer Hotel in SoHo, "hitting him in the face and causing a laceration and substantial pain," according to the complaint.

The Australian movie star was arraigned on charges of second-degree assault and fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon

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UPDATE

Actor Russell Crowe sorry for telephone tantrum

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Two days after his arrest on assault charges, Oscar winner Russell Crowe shifted into damage-control mode on Wednesday, publicly apologizing for his telephone-throwing tantrum in the midst of a promotional tour for his latest film.

In television interviews with MSNBC and on the CBS "Late Show with David Letterman," Crowe chalked up Monday's outburst at a New York hotel to the strain of loneliness and frustration at being unable to get calls through to his wife in Australia. "I'm extremely sorry for this whole incident and I regret everything that took place," the New Zealand-born actor told Letterman. "The bottom line is I did something pretty stupid. ... This is possibly the most shameful situation I've ever gotten myself (into) in my life."

Poking fun at the actor as he welcomed Crowe onto his show, Letterman picked up the telephone from his desk and moved it off stage.

Crowe, who plays a boxer in his new movie "Cinderella Man," was arrested on charges of assault and criminal possession of a weapon in connection with Monday's incident, in which police say he hurled a telephone at the concierge of the Mercer Street Hotel in Manhattan.

The actor was taken away in handcuffs and later released on his own recognizance. If convicted of assault, he could face up to seven years in prison.

Crowe's publicist issued a statement later saying the actor had thrown the phone against a wall rather than at the concierge, but police say the hotel employee was hit in the face and suffered minor lacerations.

Crowe, an Oscar winner for the 2001 film "Gladiator," told Letterman he hoped to "apologize directly to (the concierge), but at the moment he's not answering his phone."

Crowe's outburst has forced the actor to divert energy from promoting "Cinderella Man" to preventing a public backlash at a time when the film is struggling commercially. "Cinderella Man" grossed a disappointing $18.6 million in its opening weekend, ranking No. 4 at the U.S. box office.

Crowe has acknowledged earning a reputation for a hot temper. In March 2002, he apologized for having shoved and cursed a British television producer who cut short Crowe's acceptance speech during an awards show broadcast.

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UPDATE

Culkin Pleads Guilty to Drug Charges

By TIM TALLEY, Associated Press Writer

Wed Jun 8, 9:00 PM ET

OKLAHOMA CITY - Former child star Macaulay Culkin pleaded guilty Wednesday to misdemeanor charges of possession of medication without a prescription and marijuana and was given a deferred sentence.

Culkin, star of the 1990 movie "Home Alone," was arrested Sept. 17 after Oklahoma City police stopped a car in which he was a passenger. Officers found over a half-ounce of marijuana and several tablets of Xanax, a prescription medication used to treat depression and panic disorders, court records show.

Culkin, wearing a gray suit and a white open-collared shirt, entered the pleas during a brief hearing before Special Judge Russell Hall, who gave Culkin a 1-year deferred sentence on each of the charges and assessed a total of $940 in fees.

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Guest ranster627

I always find it ridiculous that when celebrities go to court, we get a fashion statement ... sheesh!

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Housekeeper charged with robbing celebrities

By Jeanne King

NEW YORK (Reuters) - One New York maid did more than clean house for her celebrity clients -- she cleaned them out of diamonds and expensive clothing and ran up big tabs on their credit cards, prosecutors and police said on Tuesday.

Among Polish-born Lucyna Turyk-Wawrynowicz's recent victims is Grace Hightower, wife of actor Robert De Niro, who hired the 35-year-old in May but became suspicious when several items, including $95,000 diamond earrings, went missing.

Soon after Hightower reported the theft, the diamond earrings and her other property were recovered in the home that Turyk-Wawrynowicz shares with her husband and two young, orphaned nephews, police said.

The maid was arraigned late on Tuesday and charged with several counts of grand larceny, criminal possession of stolen property and forgery. She faces up to 15 years in prison.

Manhattan Criminal Court Judge Melissa Jackson ordered Turyk-Wawrynowicz held on $150,000 bond, or $75,000 cash bail. She was being held at the Rikers Island jail until her next court date on Friday and was ordered to surrender her passport.

Police sources have said Turyk-Wawrynowicz's other victims included the actresses Candice Bergen and Isabella Rossellini.

The maid's court-appointed lawyer, Jeffrey Berman, declined to speak with reporters after the arraignment. At the arraignment, he denied the allegations on his client's behalf.

In court, Berman told the judge his client has worked for many "high-profile celebrities ... and still is on good terms with a number of them."

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Police Search for Gary Glitter in Vietnam

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Gary Glitter

HANOI, Vietnam - Authorities said Thursday, November 17 that they are searching for former British rock star Gary Glitter over his alleged relationship with a Vietnamese teenager. Foreign Ministry spokesman Le Dung said officials have confirmed that Glitter, 61, was residing in a home in southern Vung Tau city and had applied for permanent resident status in Vietnam.

Glitter, whose real name is Paul Francis Gadd, rose to fame with glam-rock songs in the 1970s, most notably his only U.S. hit, "Rock and Roll Part 2," a largely instrumental song that has been a staple at stadium sporting events for years. Among his other songs hits were "I'm the Leader of the Gang (I Am)" and "Do You Wanna Touch."

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In 1999, Gary Glitter was convicted in Britain of possessing child

pornography and sentenced to a brief jail term.

Glitter fell from grace in 1999 when he was convicted in Britain of possessing child pornography. He served half of a four-month jail sentence before being released. He later went to Cambodia and was permanently expelled in 2002, though Cambodian officials did not specify his crime or file charges.

Dung said that Glitter had left the house on November 12, and police are seeking his whereabouts. "At present, relevant authorities Ba Ria Vung Tau province are trying to trace this gentleman, and clarify the relationship between this gentleman and a Vietnamese juvenile," he said.

According to Dung, authorities have conducted interviews with a 15-year-old girl who they found in the home rented by Glitter. "If evidence of a (legal) violation is found against Mr. Paul Francis, and especially evidence of sexual child abuse, I believe that very strict legal measures will apply to him," he said. In Vietnam, the crime of sexually abusing a child can lead to the death penalty.

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Gary Glitter Facing Child-Sex Rap

by Josh Grossberg

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Gary Glitter

HO CHI MINH CITY, Vietnam - Gary Glitter is in a heap of trouble. The faded glam rocker, best known for the ubiquitous sports anthem "Rock and Roll Part II," was arrested on the morning of Saturday, November 19 by Vietnamese immigration authorities on charges of child molestation as he tried to board a flight from Ho Chi Minh City to Bangkok, according to published reports.

The news comes two days after the Vietnam's foreign ministry revealed that Glitter, whose real name is Paul Francis Gadd, was wanted by police for questioning regarding allegations he had sex with two girls, one of whom was 15 and the other only 12, while living in the southern resort town of Vung Tau. The age of consent in Vietnam is 16.

The bouffant-wigged British crooner allegedly committed "lewd acts" on the girls. If found guilty, Glitter could face up to 12 years in prison for obscene behavior, while a charge of child rape could carry the death penalty, which would be carried out by firing squad.

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Gary Glitter

"Having sex with a 12-year-old girl, regardless of whether he had her consent, is still considered child rape under Vietnamese law," a police officer in Vung Tua told the BBC.

Glitter, 61, had been residing in a rented seaside house since March. But he vanished Saturday, November 12 after local newspaper reports claimed several underage girls had been seen at his home. He also reportedly was kicked out of a local nightclub for feeling up a teenage barmaid.

Investigators went to Glitter's home after seeing the newspaper accounts. Although Glitter had already gone, the police discovered the two girls. It's not known whether the entertainer paid to have sex with them, but a police official confirmed a probe has been initiated to look into the girls' claims.

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Gary Glitter

"We can already say he had sexual relations with Vietnamese adolescents," Do Minh Dan, deputy director of Ba Ria-Vung Tau provincial police, told reporters Sunday, November 20.

British consular officials have reportedly been in touch with the "Do You Wanna Touch" singer and are assisting him with an attorney. This isn't the first time Glitter has run afoul of authorities. He pleaded guilty in Britain in 1999 to 54 charges of child pornography after kiddie porn was found on his PC.

Glitter ended up serving two months in prison and was placed on a child sex offender list. After his release, he went underground, turning up in Cuba and then Cambodia. He was expelled from the latter, though no charges were ever filed or any crime was alleged to have been committed, and eventually settled in Vietnam.

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Bret Michaels Dodges Bullet

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Bret Michaels

Somebody's gunning for Bret Michaels. The Poison frontman literally dodged a bullet, or at least a pellet, escaping injury after someone fired a single shot into his tour bus in the evening of Monday, November 21.

The "Every Rose Has Its Thorn" singer was inside his luxury coach when the incident took place outside the Rumble Seat Bar and Grille in Chicopee, Massachusetts, where he was due to perform. In a statement, Michaels' manager says the rocker was not hit by the projectile, but he "was struck in the face by flying broken glass."

The release goes on to say that "this was not a random drive-by shooting due to the shots being fired directly into the living quarters at the rear of the bus." It also claims that "throughout his career, Michaels has been the target of numerous death threats investigated by the FBI."

Michaels himself says in the statement that he will soldier on. "I want to thank all of my fans in the Chicopee area for staying out last night, and I will be back." But local authorities are downplaying the seriousness of the incident. "It appears to be a simple case of vandalism," says Sergeant Christopher Lareau of the Chicopee Police Department.

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Bret Michaels

Speaking by phone on Tuesday, November 22, Lareau confirmed that the left rear window of the bus had been shot out, but that he believed the weapon involved was a "pellet gun." He added that there were currently no suspects.

In his statement, Michaels asks that any tips be sent to his Website, bretmichaels.com, or the police. "Hopefully, with the help of many people, we will catch the person who did this and they will be brought to justice," the rocker says.

The tour bus tagging caps a rough year for members of one of the biggest hair metal bands of the late 1980s. Last month, a Los Angeles judge sentenced Poison guitarist C.C. DeVille to 80 days in jail after he pleaded no contest to driving under the influence and causing injury.

As for Michaels, he is due in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, for a show Tuesday, November 29 followed by a Thursday, December 1 concert in Cincinnati.

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Arizona Police Stop Vaughn and Aniston

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Vince Vaughn and Jennifer Aniston on the set of 'The Break Up' in Chicago

Vince Vaughn and Jennifer Aniston were pulled over by Scottsdale police earlier this week, and Vaughn was given a sobriety test, police said. Vaughn wasn't cited for any violation after a preliminary breath test showed the actor's blood-alcohol level was below the legal impairment limit of 0.08, Scottsdale police Sgt. Mark Clark said.

"We determined he had something to drink but was not over the legal (impairment) limit," Clark said. "We suggested that he not continue to drive." Vaughn parked the vehicle, described as a white van or truck, at a nearby resort, Clark said. He said Vaughn and Aniston then got into the car of a friend who had been following them.

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Vaughn and Aniston met on the set of 'The Break Up.'

Clark didn't have any details on why Vaughn was stopped early on Tuesday, November 29. Police said the patrolman who pulled over the vehicle smelled alcohol on Vaughn's breath. Messages left for publicists for Aniston and Vaughn, who co-star in the upcoming film "The Break Up," weren't immediately returned. "The Break Up" is scheduled for release next year.

For months, reports have swirled that Vaughn, 35, and Aniston, 36, are dating. Last month, People magazine published photos showing the couple kissing in Chicago, possibly confirming that their relationship has grown romantic. Aniston was divorced from Brad Pitt last month after 4-1/2 years of marriage.

Vaughn, whose father lives in Phoenix, co-starred earlier this year with Pitt and Angelina Jolie in "Mr. & Mrs. Smith." It was then that reports of a romance between Pitt and Jolie began, which were later corroborated by photographs and public spottings.

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Two 'Lost' Actresses Nabbed in DUI Cases

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Michelle Rodriguez and Cynthia Watros

Two cast members of the hit ABC series "Lost" were released on $500 bail each after being charged Thursday, December 1 with driving under the influence of an intoxicant. Michelle Rodriguez, who plays Ana Lucia, and Cynthia Watros, who portrays Libby, were arrested in separate cars within 15 minutes of each other.

The two "Lost" actresses were taken into custody on separate DUI incidents in Kailua after they were spotted weaving on Pali Highway, which connects Kailua and Honolulu, police said. Both women failed field sobriety tests, they said.

Watros was arrested at 12:05 a.m. and Rodriguez at 12:20 a.m., according to police records. Rodriguez was booked under the name Mayte Michelle Rodriguez. Calls placed by The Associated Press after business hours seeking comment from "Lost" spokesman Jeff Fordis weren't immediately returned.

Rodriguez, 27, and Watros, 37, were to appear at a driver's license revocation hearing at Kaneohe District Court on December 29, police records showed. Motorists arrested for operating a vehicle under the influence of an intoxicant automatically have their driver's licenses revoked. They are given a temporary license that allows them to drive, but under several restrictions.

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'Lost' Star's DUI Arrest May Violate Probation

POSTED: 1:16 pm CST December 5, 2005

UPDATED: 2:09 pm CST December 5, 2005

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HONOLULU -- A charge of driving under the influence could complicate the career of a cast member of the hit television series "Lost."

The Los Angeles City Attorney's Office says Michelle Rodriguez could have violated terms of her probation when she was charged with driving under the influence of an intoxicant last week.

Rodriguez pleaded no contest in June of last year to three misdemeanors -- hit and run, drunken driving and driving with a suspended license.

She completed a three-month alcohol program and is now serving a three-year probation term.

Frank Mateljan is with the Los Angeles City Attorney's Office.

He said a judge would determine if Rodriguez violated her probation. If so, she could face a maximum of a year-and-a-half in jail.

Rodriguez -- who plays Ana Lucia -- and Cynthia Watros -- who portrays Libby -- were arrested in separate cars within 15 minutes of each other in Kailua.

The two were spotted weaving on Pali Highway and later failed field sobriety tests.

Dang...I wanted to get their mugshot photos on my reply, but obviously don't know how. Sorry.

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Still trying to get the mug shots......not very quick with all the computer stuff....

If it didn't work this time, I'll give up. Sorry.

Piss on it....the attachment didn't "attach"..... I QUIT.

Edited by crs
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Former 'Idol' Arrested for DUI

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Julia DeMato

BROOKFIELD, Connecticut - Former "American Idol" contestant Julia DeMato was arrested and charged with alleged drug possession and drunken driving in her hometown over the weekend. Police said the 26-year-old singer was arrested in the early morning of Saturday, December 3.

DeMato was taken into custody after police got suspicious when they saw a dark sport utility vehicle drive into the parking lot of a restaurant that had been closed for more than an hour. DeMato, who made the top 10 in season two of "American Idol," failed field sobriety tests, police said.

After failing her sobriety test, the police searched DeMato's vehicle. They said a search of her SUV found two marijuana pipes, a small quantity of marijuana and a baggie with a small amount of white powder that tested positive for cocaine.

She told the News-Times of Danbury that it was just a misunderstanding. "I am not a drug user," she told the newspaper in a phone interview from her home. "It's going to be taken care of in court and that's that." DeMato, who was released on $10,000 bond, is due in court on December 16.

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CNN Host Sues Alleged Stalker

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Nancy Grace

NEW YORK, New York - CNN talk show host Nancy Grace has obtained a court order that directs a mental patient she accused of stalking her to leave her alone. The man is "apparently obsessed with Ms. Grace, believes that he loves her, insists that she can solve all of his problems and will help him to meet with Osama bin Laden," Grace's court papers say.

Grace got the temporary restraining order Wednesday, December 14, a day after she filed a request for a permanent injunction against the alleged stalker, Joseph Raymond Loegering, who, court papers say, has been confined in a Manhattan hospital's psychiatric ward since December 2.

A spokeswoman for Grace, Janine Iamunno, issued a statement Wednesday, December 14, confirming the temporary restraining order was sought and was granted, but she had no further comment.

Grace's complaint asks the court to bar Loegering from contacting her, from approaching her, her home or her workplace and from harassing, menacing, stalking or committing any other offense against her. It also asks for unspecified punitive monetary damages and attorney's fees.

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Nancy Grace

Grace, a former prosecutor whose eponymous CNN show deals with law-related subjects, says in court papers filed Tuesday that since November 18, Loegering, whom she has never met, "has engaged in a continuous pattern of harassment and stalking of plaintiff by e-mail and telephone and by attempting to enter her place of employment."

On November 18, court papers say, Loegering sent Grace an e-mail telling her he was coming to New York to see her. "I would like to talk to you as soon as posible [(sic)] so that we can work things out," court papers quote the e-mail message as saying. Loegering allegedly asked Grace to call him at a telephone number with a Missouri area code.

Security staff at CNN's New York office and Grace's staff were alerted, court papers say, and around 9 p.m. on December 2 Loegering arrived at the TV network's headquarters and asked to see her. Security staff refused to let him in.

Outside, Loegering was approached by two police officers who believed he was emotionally disturbed, court papers say. Police called Emergency Medical Service technicians, who took him to St. Lukes-Roosevelt Hospital Center. There are no known criminal charges pending against Loegering. It could not be determined whether he had a lawyer.

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Actor Brad Renfro Becomes 'Client'

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Brad Renfro

Actor Brad Renfro was arrested in a sting operation after he allegedly tried to buy heroin near downtown's Skid Row, police said. Renfro, 23, was booked for investigation of felony attempting to possess heroin, Detective Ron Hodges said. "He was intending to buy real heroin from an undercover officer," Hodges said.

Renfro, the star of the 1994 film "The Client," was caught during a random sting operation on Thursday, December 22, that resulted in the arrests of 14 other suspects, Hodges said. Renfro's lawyer did not immediately return a call for comment.

The actor was charged in 1998 with possession of cocaine and marijuana, but avoided jail time in a plea deal. He was sentenced to two years' probation in January 2001 on charges of trying to steal a yacht in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

He was arrested in May 2001 and charged with underage drinking. The next year, he was charged with driving without a license and public intoxication. Both violated terms of his probation. Renfro was ordered into an alcohol rehabilitation program in March 2002.

His movie credits include "Ghost World," "Bully" and "Apt Pupil."

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Parker Runs A-'Foul' of the Law

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San Antonio Spurs Tony Parker and Eva Longoria

SAN ANTONIO, Texas - San Antonio Spurs guard Tony Parker was cited for impeding traffic and failing to produce a valid Texas driver's license during a traffic stop in which "Desperate Housewives" actress Eva Longoria was his passenger. The incident happened about 12:45 a.m. Saturday, December 24.

After seeing a car stopped, a bicycle officer indicated that it was impeding traffic. When the car didn't move, the officer rapped the hood with the palm of his hand, according to a police report. Parker, who was behind the wheel, questioned why the officer touched the car, and the couple "began screaming in a verbally abusive and demeaning manner," police said. Longoria called the police report "highly inaccurate."

Police say Parker then began to drive away, almost hitting a man standing nearby. After being told to stop and get out of the car, Parker showed police a French driver's license, police said. The officer who wrote the citations said Parker complained: "This is all the cops do, just mess with people," and that Longoria shouted from the car: "He's just a Mexican bike cop. He only wants your autograph."

Longoria denied making the comment. "It's a shame that one officer conducted himself in such an inappropriate and disorderly manner. I never made any sort of racial slurs, let alone made any comments about the officer being Mexican, as a Mexican myself," Longoria said through her publicist.

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'Survivor' Tax Trial Set

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'Survivor' winner Richard Hatch

The tribe has spoken: original "Survivor" champ Richard Hatch will stand trial next month on tax evasion charges. U.S. District Judge Ernest Torres denied three motions filed by lawyers for the clothes-eschewing reality star and ordered him back to the federal courthouse in Providence, Rhode Island, on January 10 for the start of jury selection.

Hatch's lawyers had asked Torres to delay the trial and make prosecutors put an exact dollar figure on the amount Hatch allegedly owes in unpaid taxes. Hatch, 44, was indicted in September on 10 charges, including his failure to pay taxes on the $1 million prize he received for his victory on the first season of the reality series.

Hatch faces additional charges when he has his day in court. Other charges faced by the Rhode Island native include filing a false tax return, wire fraud, bank fraud and mail fraud. Hatch has pleaded innocent across the board.

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Richard Hatch

On top of neglecting to pay taxes on his "Survivor" winnings, Hatch allegedly filed false tax returns in 2000 and 2001 and failed to report $327,000 he raked in by hosting a Boston-based radio show, as well as $28,000 he earned from a rental property he owns, U.S. Attorney Robert Clark Corrente said.

According to the indictment, Hatch had two accountants prepare tax returns including his reality winnings, but did not file them when he learned he would be on the hook for hundreds of thousands of dollars. Instead, he had one of the accountants prepare a new return in 2002 that did not include the Survivor prize and called for a $4,500 return.

Hatch also allegedly dipped into donations to his charity, Horizon Bound, spending some $36,500 of the funds supposedly allocated to the charity on his personal expenses. In one example, he allegedly used a $10,000 donation he received for appearing on an episode of "The Weakest Link" towards completing some renovations on his home.

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Richard Hatch

The former "Survivor" contestant, known for his frequent displays of nudity on the show, was originally indicted for two counts of tax evasion last January. Hatch originally agreed to plead guilty to the charges, but later backed out of the agreement in March, claiming he believed CBS was responsible for taking care of the taxes on his $1 million "Survivor" prize.

The network emphatically denied the suggestion, stating that Hatch, famed for his conniving ways on the show, was well-aware that it was his responsibility to pony up the tax fees. If Hatch is found guilty on all 10 charges, he could face 75 years behind bars and millions of dollars in fines.

It's certainly not the first time Hatch has faced a run-in with the law. Apart from his tax-related misfortunes, Hatch was arrested in 2000 for allegedly abusing his then nine-year-old son. That charge was later dropped. Then, in 2002, Hatch was found guilty of assaulting his ex-boyfriend, but the charge was later overturned.

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'Apt Pupil' Hasn't Learned Lesson

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Ian McKellen and Brad Renfro in 1998's 'Apt Pupil'

Sounds like the "Apt Pupil" hasn't quite learned his lesson. Brad Renfro was busted in an LAPD sting operation on Thursday, December 22, after allegedly attempting to buy heroin from an undercover cop. The 23-year-old former child star, along with 14 others, was booked for investigation of felony attempting to possess heroin, according to police.

"We want to send the message that if you come to downtown for drugs, you will be arrested," said Los Angeles police captain Andy Smith. The actor was released from custody late Thursday night on $10,000 bail after his December 22 arrest. Renfro is due back in court Friday, December 30.

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Stephen Dorff and Brad Renfro in 2002's 'Deuces Wild'

Six undercover narcotics officers were involved in the sting, which went down in the afternoon in the notorious 50-block Skid Row section of downtown Los Angeles. "More heroin is sold around the Skid Row area than all other places in California combined," said Smith. The officers involved in the sting posed as drug dealers, selling balloons filled with fake heroin.

Despite the presence of several newspaper, radio and TV reporters covering the operation, buyers were apparently undeterred from approaching the cops. The operation was part of a campaign by city and state officials against Skid Row drug dealing.

The arrest was just the latest for "The Client" star. Renfro was charged with possession of cocaine and marijuana in 1998, but avoided jail time after striking a plea bargain. In 2001, Renfro was sentenced to two years' probation on charges of attempting to steal a yacht in Fort Lauderdale.

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Tommy Lee Jones, Susan Sarandon and Brad Renfro

in 1994's 'The Client'

Five months later, Renfro was arrested and charged with underage drinking. In 2002, he was arrested for driving without a license and public intoxication. As both charges violated the terms of his probation, Renfro was ordered to enter a rehab program.

Renfro made his screen debut at the age of 12 opposite Susan Sarandon and Tommy Lee Jones in 1994's "The Client." Starring roles followed for the young thespian in "Tom and Huck," "Sleepers" and "Apt Pupil."

Renfro's key credits of late include supporting roles in 2001's "Ghost World," with Thora Birch and Scarlett Johansson, and 2005's "The Jacket," with Adrien Brody and Keira Knightley. Next up is the big-screen drama "Nobody's Hero" opposite songbird Nelly Furtado.

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Soap Actress Pans 'Hospital' in Lawsuit

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'General Hospital's' Kari Wuhrer

Former "General Hospital" actress Kari Wuhrer sued ABC-TV on Thursday, January 12, contending her character was written out of the soap opera and she was fired for becoming pregnant. Wuhrer, 38, filed the discrimination and wrongful termination suit in Los Angeles County Superior Court.

Wuhrer played Reese Marshall on the show. According to her suit, she notified the writers and producers that she was pregnant in August so they would have time to write her condition into the script. Instead, Wuhrer said she was fired two weeks later.

Wuhrer is alleging she suffered at least $3 million in damages to her earnings, career and through the cost of emotional distress. The lawsuit claims that ABC created the "pretext" that Wuhrer was fired because she was not "sexy" and "there was no chemistry with her character's love interest, Sonny Corinthos."

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'General Hospital's' Maurice Benard and Kari Wuhrer

as Sonny Corinthos and Reese Marshall

"The vile underbelly of the Hollywood Machine encourages female actors to be as beautiful and slim as possible," the suit said. In a statement, ABC said, "We have not been served and we do not comment on pending litigation." Details of the suit were first reported by TMZ.com.

Wuhrer's suit adds that an actress who "dares" to become pregnant has one choice: "Terminate her pregnancy or be terminated." The lawsuit, filed by the powerhouse law firm, Lavely & Singer, claims other "General Hospital" actresses have also been fired because they became pregnant.

The suit, which alleges sex discrimination, pregnancy-based discrimination, wrongful termination, failure to provide reasonable accommodations for pregnancy, and intentional infliction of emotional distress, seeks unspecified compensatory and punitive damages.

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Former Child Actor Pichler Missing

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Joe Pichler

Former child actor Joe Pichler, who appeared in two of the "Beethoven" comedies, was missing after leaving a note in his car expressing suicidal thoughts, relatives said. Well-wishers and relatives joined police, Kitsap County water search and rescue personnel and tracking dogs in unsuccessful efforts to find the young actor.

Pichler's empty car was found last Tuesday, January 10, at an intersection above a narrow arm of water called the Port Madison Narrows. Inside the car was a note in which Pichler, now 18, wrote about wishing to be a "stronger brother" and asking that his belongings go to a younger brother, his family said. Also included were a few poems.

Pichler, a native of Bremerton, was in a commercial for a Seattle department store at age 6. He moved to Los Angeles and appeared in "The Fan" in 1996, "Varsity Blues" in 1999 and the third and fourth installments of the "Beethoven" series, featuring the humorous adventures of a St. Bernard, in 2000 and 2001.

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Joe Pichler in 'Beethoven'

In 2002, he had a leading role in the film "Children on Their Birthdays," a coming of age tale based on a short story by Truman Capote. His TV appearances include a part in "Touched by an Angel." He returned to Bremerton to live full-time in 2002 at the urging of his mother and was graduated last year from Bremerton High but never lost his passion for acting, his family said.

"I just wanted him to have some normalcy in his life. He's a good boy and took it well, but he wasn't really happy about it." his mother, Kathy Pichler, told the Kitsap Sun. "We always kept him really grounded. He's always been a regular kid with a job a teenager wouldn't normally have."

More than 150 people joined in the search Wednesday, January 11 and dozens more helped comb the area on Saturday, January 14. "I don't know how we're going to thank all these people," his mother said.

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