Posted Mar 14th 2010 3:11AM by TMZ Staff
Brittny Gastineau was scared to learn she was a possible target for the Burglar Bunch -- and she's even more horrified about the whole thing "being glorified for reality television." Or at least a show she isn't in.
As we first reported, Gastineau was among the celebrity names police said Nick Prugo and the gang scoped out for possible burglaries. Brittny tells us, "I was shocked to learn I was on this supposed burglary list -- it is a horrible, invasive feeling to think someone was planning something so horrific. Even more disappointing is that something as serious as this is being glorified for reality television."
Alleged Burglar Bunch member Alexis Neiers -- who has an E! show premiering tonight -- fired back, telling us, "First of all, Brittny who? I have no idea who she is. It's sad that she would say something without hearing my side of the story. I feel really bad that society has judged me when I haven't had a chance to present a defense. It will all come out on my show."
Filed under: Exclusives, Burglar Bunch
Tags: alexis neiers, AlexisNeiers, brittny gastineau, BrittnyGastineau, burglar bunch, BurglarBunch
Posted Mar 12th 2010 6:00PM by TMZ Staff
The Burglar Bunch targeted way more celebs than we first thought ... this according to legal docs just obtained by TMZ.
According to a search warrant affidavit, alleged Burglar Bunch member Nick Prugo says his crew "door-knocked and conducted surveillance on the following celebrity residences:"
- Zac Efron
- Vanessa Hudgens
- Miley Cyrus
- Hilary Duff
- Spencer Pratt
- Channing Tatum
- Brittny Gastineau
- Ashley Tisdale
- Jacqueline Bisset
- Adam Goldstein aka DJ AM
The Burglar Bunch allegedly hit the homes of Lindsay Lohan, Paris Hilton, Audrina Patridge, Orlando Bloom, Rachel Bilson, Brian Austin Green and Megan Fox.
The affidavit we obtained was filed in support of a search warrant that was executed just yesterday at Nick Prugo's home. According to legal docs, nothing was seized.
Filed under: Celebrity Justice, Exclusives, Burglar Bunch
Tags: adam goldstein, AdamGoldstein, ashley tisdale, AshleyTisdale, audrina patridge, AudrinaPatridge, brian austin green, BrianAustinGreen, brittany gastineau, BrittanyGastineau, channing tatum, ChanningTatum, dj am, DjAm, hilary duff, HilaryDuff, jacqueline bisset, JacquelineBisset, lindsay lohan, LindsayLohan, megan fox, MeganFox, miley cyrus, MileyCyrus, orlando bloom, OrlandoBloom, paris hilton, ParisHilton, rachel bilson, RachelBilson, spencer, spencer pratt, SpencerPratt, vanessa hudgens, VanessaHudgens, zach efron, ZachEfron
Posted Feb 3rd 2010 12:45PM by TMZ Staff
Burglar Bunch suspect Rachel Lee followed suit of the rest of her alleged cohorts -- and just pled not guilty in court to five felonies stemming from a string of celebrity home break-ins.
Lee -- who cops believe is the "master mind" of the group -- is charged with three counts of residential burglary and two counts of receiving stolen property and is accused of pilfering from Paris Hilton, Audrina Patridge and Lindsay Lohan's pads.
Five of the other alleged members of the Bunch -- Nick Prugo, Alexis Neiers, Diana Tamayo, Courtney Ames and Roy Lopez, Jr. -- face a total of 12 counts of felony first degree residential burglary.
Filed under: Celebrity Justice, Burglar Bunch
Tags: alexis neiers, AlexisNeiers, burglar bunch, BurglarBunch, court, courtney ames, CourtneyAmes, diana tamayo, DianaTamayo, jr., nick prugo, NickPrugo, not guilty, NotGuilty, plea, rachel lee, RachelLee, roy lopez, RoyLopez
Posted Feb 3rd 2010 12:13AM by TMZ Staff
Burglar Bunch member Nick Prugo has officially begun his televised tour of contrition -- explaining that he only broke into the homes of Paris Hilton, Orlando Bloom, Lindsay Lohan and more because he was just "trying to keep my friends."
Sporting his finest Larry Birkhead-esque haircut, Prugo went on "Good Morning America" today where he said he's trying to make amends to the victims and he realizes what he did "definitely wasn't O.K."
Prugo pled not guilty to eight felony burglaries back in December.
Filed under: Celebrity Justice, Burglar Bunch
Tags: burglar bunch, BurglarBunch, lindsay lohan, LindsayLohan, nick prugo, NickPrugo, orlando bloom, OrlandoBloom, paris hilton, ParisHilton
Posted Jan 21st 2010 11:50AM by TMZ Staff
Courtney Ames of alleged Burglar Bunch fame was just charged with one of the dumbest crimes ever.
The Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office just charged Ames with receiving stolen property -- Lindsay Lohan's stolen necklace. Prosecutors say it's the very same necklace Ames stupidly wore to court in November.
A detective confiscated the necklace in the courtroom and now she's been charged. Ames was also charged with a second count of receiving stolen property over a leather jacket belonging to Paris Hilton ... but she didn't wear that one to court.
One more thing .. The D.A. is calling the alleged gang of thieves "The Bling Ring." We strongly prefer The Burglar Bunch.
Filed under: Celebrity Justice, Exclusives, Burglar Bunch
Tags: burglar bunch, BurglarBunch, courtney ames, CourtneyAmes, lindsay lohan, LindsayLohan, paris hilton, ParisHilton, the bling ring, TheBlingRing
Posted Jan 13th 2010 6:00PM by TMZ Staff
Hollywood Hills Burglar Bunch suspect Rachel Lee just turned herself in to the LAPD ... sources tell TMZ.
The L.A. District Attorney charged Lee with five felonies today -- three counts of residential burglary and two counts of receiving stolen property.
Lee is suspected of burglarizing the homes of Paris Hilton, Audrina Patridge and Lindsay Lohan.
We're told Lee is being booked right now.
UPDATE: Lee was just released after posting $150,000 bail.
Filed under: Celebrity Justice, Exclusives, Burglar Bunch
Tags: burglar bunch, BurglarBunch
Posted Jan 13th 2010 4:30PM by TMZ Staff
A felony warrant has been issued for the arrest of Hollywood Hills Burglar Bunch suspect Rachel Lee ... sources tell TMZ.
Our sources say the L.A. County District Attorney issued the warrant today -- which contains three counts of felony residential burglary and two felony counts of receiving stolen property.
Lee was arrested in Nevada back in October for possession of stolen property -- but was never charged for the burglary of any of the celebrity victims' homes.
Five of the other alleged members of the Bunch -- Nick Prugo, Alexis Neiers, Diana Tamayo, Courtney Ames and Roy Lopez, Jr. -- face a total of 12 counts of felony first degree residential burglary.
The Bunch allegedly burglarized the homes of Paris Hilton, Orlando Bloom, Rachel Bilson, Lindsay Lohan, Audrina Patridge, Brian Austin Green, Megan Fox and an L.A. business man.
Filed under: Celebrity Justice, Exclusives, Burglar Bunch
Tags: audrina patridge, AudrinaPatridge, brian austin green, BrianAustinGreen, burglary, diana tamayo, DianaTamayo, hollywood hills burglar bunch, HollywoodHillsBurglarBunch, lindsay lohan, LindsayLohan, megan fox, MeganFox, nick prugo, NickPrugo, orlando bloom, OrlandoBloom, paris hilton, ParisHilton, rachel lee, RachelLee
Posted Dec 2nd 2009 12:30PM by TMZ Staff
The Hollywood Hills Burglar Bunch are really just a bunch of innocent kids ... or at least kids who have now officially pled not guilty.
Nick Prugo was in court today and pled not guilty to eight felony burglaries.
Diana Tamayo -- not guilty to two felony burglaries.
Courtney Ames and Roy Lopez Jr. -- not guilty to one felony burglary.
Bail for Prugo and Tamayo was set at $20,000 -- for Lopez and Ames it was $50,000.
The gang will have a courtroom reunion in January.
Filed under: Celebrity Justice, Burglar Bunch
Tags: burglar bunch, BurglarBunch, courtney ames, CourtneyAmes, diana tamayo, DianaTamayo, hollywood burglar bunch, HollywoodBurglarBunch, nick prugo, NickPrugo, roy lopez jr, RoyLopezJr
Posted Dec 1st 2009 1:51PM by TMZ Staff
One of the Burglar Bunch suspects admitted to peeing and puking in Orlando Bloom's bushes while three others were burglarizing his house ... this according to a detective's testimony today in suspect Alexis Neiers' preliminary trial.
Detective Brett Goodkin said he recently interviewed Alexis in the presence of her lawyer ... and that she admitted to being at Orlando's house on the night it was burglarized.
Det. Goodkin testified Alexis told him she rode with fellow suspect Nick Prugo to Bloom's house -- but was drunk and didn't know why they were going there.
Det. Goodkin said Alexis told him they met two females at Orlando's place -- including fellow suspect Rachel Lee -- and that Lee had already cut the fence outside Orlando's house before they even got there.
A different detective got on the stand after Goodkin, and said Alexis told him when she saw everyone ransacking Orlando's place, she got sick ... then threw up and peed in the bushes outside.
Neither detective said Alexis admitted to taking anything from the house.
UPDATE: Alexis will stand trial -- she's set to be arraigned on December 15.
Filed under: Burglar Bunch
Tags: alexis neiers, AlexisNeiers, burglar bunch, BurglarBunch, orlando bloom, OrlandoBloom
Posted Dec 1st 2009 12:12PM by TMZ Staff
TMZ has obtained a photo taken by security cameras outside of Orlando Bloom's house on the morning it was burglarized ... and authorities think the pic shows the Hollywood Hills Burglar Bunch doing their thing.
Even though only two suspected members of the bunch -- Alexis Neiers and Nick Prugo -- have been charged with the Bloom burglary, the photo clearly shows four hooded people walking in the street.
Filed under: Exclusives, Burglar Bunch
Posted Nov 21st 2009 2:15AM by TMZ Staff
It doesn't get much dumber than this -- one of the chicks arrested in the Burglar Bunch case rolled into court Friday wearing one of the very necklaces the gang is suspected of stealing from Lindsay Lohan.
Didn't take Sherlock Holmes to notice -- investigators immediately confiscated the necklace from Courtney Ames' neck because it looked just like the one stolen from Lindsay Lohan's home ... in fact, we already did a story about Courtney wearing the same exact necklace last week.
Ames had already told TMZ that she bought the rosary beads for five bucks at some shop, but today she told authorities the charm on the necklace was given to her by another member of the bunch -- i.e. it may have been stolen from someone at some point.
Filed under: Celebrity Justice, Burglar Bunch
Tags: burglar bunch, BurglarBunch, court, courtney ames, CourtneyAmes, lindsay lohan, LindsayLohan
Posted Nov 20th 2009 12:20AM by TMZ Staff
TMZ has learned a kid named Kanan Wolf is the latest "person of interest" in the Burglar Bunch investigation.
According to law enforcement sources, Wolf is close friends with primary suspects Rachel Lee -- who cops believe is the mastermind behind the burglaries -- and Diana Tamayo -- who's been charged with felony first degree residential burglary of Lindsay Lohan and Ashley Tisdale's homes.
Wolf's not yet a suspect -- but cops really want to talk to him.
Look familiar? You might recognize Wolf from partying it up at a swanky L.A. nightclub with Diana, Rachel, and Courtney Ames -- all suspects in the case.
Filed under: Exclusives, Burglar Bunch
Tags: ashley tisdale, AshleyTisdale, burglar bunch, BurglarBunch, diana tamayo, DianaTamayo, kanan wolf, KananWolf, lindsay lohan, LindsayLohan, rachel lee, RachelLee
Posted Nov 16th 2009 4:28PM by TMZ Staff
Hollywood Hills Burglar Bunch suspect Alexis Neiers pled not guilty today to her alleged involvement in the burglary of Orlando Bloom's home last summer -- and she looked goooooooooood doing it.
After Alexis finished up in court, she stopped in the hallway and had her hair make-up done by a few pros -- before she met the press on her way out. Priorities, people!
Alexis -- who was charged with one count felony first degree residential burglary last month -- is due back in court on November 30.
As TMZ reported, Alexis' sister -- Playboy model Tess Taylor -- was seen wearing what Rachel Bilson believes is her stolen vest.
Bilson, Lindsay Lohan, Audrina Patridge, Paris Hilton, Orlando Bloom and Brian Austin Green are all possible victims of the Burglar Bunch.
Filed under: Celebrity Justice, Burglar Bunch
Tags: alexis neiers, AlexisNeiers, burglary bunch, BurglaryBunch, nick prugo, NickPrugo, orlando bloom, OrlandoBloom, rachel bilson, RachelBilson
