Settlement Reached Between Burger King And Man Who Found Unwrapped Condom In His Food (News)

50 Cent Calls into Tim Westwood's Show [Explains Black Magic Album, responds to the Rick Ross baby mama lawsuit, and takes Beamer, Benz or Bentley Qui

Bronx Men File $2 Million Lawsuit Against NYPD For Being Arrested For 'Crack' That Was Really Coconut Candy

NY Daily News: A drug bust of two Bronx men wasn't all it was cracked up to be - and now they're looking for a sweet payday from the city.

Cops accused Cesar Rodriguez and Jose Pena of having crack cocaine in their work van, but it was only coconut candy, they said Friday.

Charges were dropped after tests showed they were telling the truth, but the two men plan to file a $2 million suit against the NYPD.

"I spent five days in jail for possession of coconut candy," said Rodriguez, 33, an ex-con who works as a plumber's assistant.

He and Pena were parked near an Arthur Ave. bodega Jan. 15 when two police officers asked to search their green Chevy Venture van, the men said.

The cops found pieces of the crystalline candy - known as crema de coco and sold in bodegas across the city - in a plastic baggie.

Officer Anthony Burgos of the 48th Precinct arrested the duo for drug possession despite their insistence they were guilty only of a sweet tooth, Rodriguez said.

"I kept telling him it is candy," he said.

Rodriguez and Pena were locked up on a Friday night and didn't see a judge for arraignment until that Sunday, said their lawyer, Neil Wollerstein.

Pena was released after arraignment, but Rodriguez couldn't make the $5,000 bail a judge imposed because of a prior armed robbery conviction. He wasn't let go until this Thursday, the lawyer said.

"This all could have been avoided if they believed us and tasted the candy," said Pena, 48, a father of four boys who works with Rodriguez. "I thought my life was over."

Wollerstein said cops ignored proper procedure.

"They could have called for a field test [on the substance] and let these men go," he said as the notice of claim was filed with the controller's office.

"Either these two officers failed to follow procedure and were completely incompetent or they intentionally arrested these men for possession of coconut candy."

Stephen Reed, a spokesman for the Bronx district attorney's office, confirmed all charges were dropped.

"This wasn't a narcotic substance," he said.

The NYPD declined to comment.

The confection at the center of the case is widely available. It comes shaped like a rod and wrapped in plain cellophane.

Rodriguez said he crumbled his into pieces and put it in a Hello Kitty sandwich bag so it would be easier to eat while driving.

He got hooked on the sweet because his grandmother used to make it - and has no plans of quitting his habit.

"It just melts in your mouth," he said. "I eat this every day, and I'm not going to stop because of what I've just been through."

wcruz@nydailynews.com

Mistress Of Shaquille O'Neal Files Harassment Lawsuit Against Him

L.A Times: LOS ANGELES -- Former Laker Shaquille O'Neal's ex-mistress announced Tuesday that she's suing the basketball star for harassment.

Vanessa Lopez, an Orlando-based model, claims she and O'Neal began their affair about five years ago. She says she was initially resistant because O'Neal was married, but he told her he had an "open relationship."

Things went south about four months ago, Lopez alleges, after she told O'Neal she thought she might be pregnant.

Lopez says she didn't like O'Neal's reaction, and told him to leave her alone. She claims the Cleveland Cavaliers center then began harassing her.

"I used to walk down the street not looking back over my shoulder," Lopez said at the press conference, with attorney Gloria Allred by her side. "Now, I fear that someone is after me. At home I'm constantly looking outside to see if there's a strange car parked."

"I want this to be over," Lopez said. "I want to feel safe again."

Lopez accused Orlando Magic star J.J. Redick of harassment following their breakup in 2007.

According to a police report filed in Florida, Lopez claimed she was being harassed by Redick's brother, David. The report says that while the cops were at Lopez's house taking a report, David called her and said he would leave her alone "when she leaves J.J. alone."

Lopez has also reportedly had problems with Denver Nuggets forward Kenyon Martin and Cleveland Cavaliers guard Delonte West.

In 2006, West, then with the Boston Celtics, called security on Lopez, saying she wouldn't leave his Orlando hotel room.

Police were called to the room, and Lopez accused West of making unwanted sexual advances toward her, according to the police report.

West acknowledged that he had slept with Lopez in the past, but said he didn't hit on her that night.

Instead, West said Lopez made advances at him, but he rejected her because he had another woman coming over.

Police eventually removed Lopez from the hotel.

Lopez's problems with Kenyon Martin happened in 2007, when Martin's business manager called police, claiming Lopez charged hundreds of dollars on the basketball star's credit card without permission.

It's unclear if criminal charges were ever filed against Lopez in connection with that incident.

For his part, O'Neal has been linked to at least three mistresses, including 25-year-old Swedish model Dominica Westling and the fiancee of another NBA player.

O'Neal's wife, Shaunie, has filed for legal separation with intent to divorce. Their next hearing is set for March.