_{Advertisement}

Ex-FBI Agent Babak Broumand Walks Free After Serving Just 30 Months

Babak Broumand, a former FBI supervisory agent convicted of selling secrets and laundering bribe money tied to organized crime, has been released after serving just 2½ years of a six-year federal sentence. Despite pleading guilty this week to a tax charge connected to hiding bribe payments through an unlicensed business, Broumand faces no additional prison time and will retain ownership of a Lake Tahoe home purchased with tainted funds.

Judge Sets May Ruling as Mangione Suppression Hearings Conclude

After nine days of testimony, a judge overseeing Luigi Mangione’s case said he will rule on key suppression motions in May, as both sides rested without calling additional witnesses. Defense attorneys challenged police statements attributed to Mangione’s mother and raised concerns about secret audio and video recordings made while Mangione was in custody in Pennsylvania, prompting prosecutors to withdraw statements from that interrogation. The hearings focused on whether evidence, including a handgun and a notebook, can be used at trial in the December 2024 killing of Brian Thompson.

California Pizza Kitchen Sold to Todd Boehly-Backed Investment Group

California Pizza Kitchen, the Beverly Hills-born restaurant chain founded in 1985, has been sold to Consortium Brand Partners in partnership with billionaire Todd Boehly, with Bain Capital Credit also participating in the deal. Boehly’s Eldridge Industries will assign day-to-day operations to Convive Brands, which will oversee the 120-location chain as operator and master franchisor. The sale marks another ownership shift for the once sprawling L.A. institution, which has changed hands multiple times since its early success and filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy during the pandemic.

Prosecutors Raise Conflict Concerns After Terry Rozier Pays Co-Defendant’s Legal Fees

Federal prosecutors are asking a judge to review a potential conflict of interest in the wire fraud case involving NBA player Terry Rozier after revealing he is paying the legal fees of a co-defendant and childhood friend. In a court filing, prosecutors argue the arrangement could compromise the co-defendant’s right to conflict-free counsel, particularly if defense strategies or plea decisions could harm Rozier. The government is seeking a Curcio hearing to ensure the co-defendant understands the risks as the case moves toward its next court date in March 2026.

A Life-Size Home Alone Gingerbread House Pops Up in Hollywood

Disney+ and Hulu have brought holiday movie magic to Hollywood with a massive Home Alone–inspired gingerbread house now open to the public on Dec. 18 and 19. Built with thousands of gingerbread tiles and towering more than 25 feet tall, the festive installation on Hollywood Boulevard aims to break the Guinness World Record for the world’s largest gingerbread house. Visitors are invited to stop by for holiday fun, with unwrapped toy donations for Toys for Tots encouraged.

_{Advertisements}

Recommended Newsletters: