Rapper Kanye West Makes Court Plea

On Friday, the rapper Kanye West pleaded not guilty to the charges of misdemeanor battery, grand theft, and vandalism that come from an incident that happened last September when he was caught breaking a paparazzo's camera flash at Los Angeles International Airport. He is scheduled to reappear in court on July 15th.

Rapper Kanye West Charged with Misdemeanors

The rapper Kanye West has been charged with misdemeanor battery, grand theft, and vandalism by the Los Angeles city prosecutors due to destroying a paparazzi's camera back in September. He has the possibility of spending 2 and a half years in jail if he is convicted of the charges.

West's manager, named Dan Crawley, is also facing six misdemeanor charges, two counts of battery, and vandalism and grand theft due to being part of the incident by breaking the camera and accosting a videographer from TMZ. He has the possbility of spending up to five years in jail if he is convicted.

Rapper DMX Sentenced to Jail Time

On Friday, the rapper DMX, whose real name is Earl Simmons, was sentenced to serve 90 days in jail for his convictions on theft, drug-possession, and animal-cruelty charges. He was also placed on at least 18 months supervised probation by the Maricopa County Superior Court Commissioner Phemonia Miller.

On December 30th, Simmons pleaded guilty to three felony counts, which were theft, possession or use of marijuana, and the possession or use of narcotic drugs. He also had a misdemeanor count of animal cruelty. He is not being given credit for time served and is not expected to get out of jail until the end of April.

Rapper DMX Arrested

The rapper DMX was arrested in Miami on Tuesday by federal authorities for not attending his recent court appearance. He was arrested on a warrant issued by a judge in Phoenix after he didn't attend his court hearing on Friday. DMX was being held at the Miami-Dade County jail and will be taken back to Phoenix. His bond is set at $120,000. He has pleaded not guilty to charges to drug possession, identity theft, and animal cruelty.

Another Warrant Issued to Rapper DMX

The rapper DMX was issued a bench warrant by a judge in Phoenix after he didn't show up to court on Friday. This is the second time that he missed a court appearance in Maricopa County Superior Court. He is currently facing charges of drug possession, identity theft, and animal cruelty. His bond has been raised to $120,000 cash and his attorney says that he is currently at an undisclosed rehab facility.

Rapper DMX Indicted on Charges

The rapper DMX has been indicted on felony charges by a grand jury in Arizona for using a false name to avoid paying for a hospital bill. He has been charged with one count of theft and one count of taking someone else's identity. He went to Scottsdale's Mayo Clinic in April using the name “Troy Jones” to receive medical care even though his real name is Earl Simmons and didn't have any intentions on paying the bill.

Man Finds Burglar Sleeping In His Bed

In Elkton, MD, a man came home to his apartment last week at 8 a.m. in the morning and found a burglar sleeping in his bed. The burglar didn’t wake up until the police came and handcuffed him while he was sleeping. The burglar, named Mark William, jammed a chair against the back door so that nobody would come in before he went to sleep. He is being charged with burglary, theft, malicious destruction of property, and possession of crack cocaine that police found in his pocket.

Stop Identity Theft from Happening to You

Identity theft happens when your personal information is stolen and used without your knowledge or permission. It is one of the fastest growing crimes in the United States and affects nearly 10 million Americans. It can be prevented from happening to you.

Have your mail delivered to a locked mailbox or post office box. Shred documents, especially bank and credit card statements, bills, and credit card offers, using a cross-cut shredder. Stop pre-approved credit offers by calling (888) 5-OPT-OUT or go to www.optoutprescreen.com to be removed from mailing lists. Have your mail held from being delivered while you are on vacation. Take outgoing mail, including bill payments and checks, directly to the post office.

Limit the amount of personal information you carry with you. Leave your social security card at home and only carry credit cards that are necessary. Make a photocopy of both sides of your driver’s license, all credit cards, and insurance cards. The back parts of most credit cards have important phone numbers you can call if your cards are stolen or misplaced. Keep the photocopies in a safe and secure place.

Only carry a few checks at a time and don’t put your phone number or social security number on your checks. It may be a good idea to use credit cards instead of checks or debit cards to pay because credit cards have a protection against fraudulent charges. It is easier to dispute a credit card charge than to try to get stolen money returned to your bank account.

Look over your financial information regularly to see if you are receiving monthly statements for all credit cards and bank accounts that have transactions for the most recent month or reporting period. If you are not receiving your statements, call your bank or credit card company. Make sure there are no suspicious charges on your accounts. Check your credit report to make sure it is accurate. Visit www.annualcreditreport.com or call 1-877-322-8228 to order your free credit report. Your credit report should list all bank and financial accounts you have in your name.

Identity theft doesn’t have to happen to you. If you follow these tips you can keep yourself safe.