'Sopranos' Teen Looks to Grand Jury

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Actor Robert Iler, 16, who plays Tony Jr., a chip off the mob boss' block on HBO's "The Sopranos," appeared in a Manhattan courtroom Monday to face charges that he was involved in a $40 mugging on the 4th of July. New York's Daily News reports that five of some six witnesses to the alleged robbery (of two Brazilian teens) said that Iler was not one of the culprits. Iler had been arrested along with three pals at a park near the alleged crime scene after the victims reported the incident to police and claimed that the robbers taunted them with the repeated threat of "You want to die?" Authorities also said that Iler was in possession of a bag of marijuana and a pipe. No indictment has been made. Attorneys for the actor said that they might let Iler take the unusual step of appearing before a grand jury to state his innocence. Manhattan Criminal Court Judge Judith Levitt ordered another hearing for July 18. Meanwhile, on the career front, good news for Iler: "Sopranos" creator and executive producer David Chase, who previously indicated that the upcoming fourth season of the HBO series would be the last for the hit mob drama, is now negotiating for a fifth season, says Tuesday's Hollywood Reporter.