Tag: fraud

Fraud / Litigation / Rights

Somerville Mayor Sues Barstool Sports, Kirk Minihane for Lying to Conduct Interview

Joseph Curtatone, mayor of Somerville, Massachusetts, filed a lawsuit against Massachusetts-based sports media company, Barstool Sports (Barstool), as well as Kirk Minihane, a podcaster who Barstool recently hired. The lawsuit alleges that Barstool and Minihane violated Massachusetts’ wiretap statute by recording an interview with the mayor via “fraud,” according to the complaint filed on June 17, 2019. Mayor Curtatone announced the lawsuit himself via Twitter.

In the video recording, which Barstool posted on its website and two of its social media platforms, Minihane pretended …

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General / Litigation / NFL

Two Former NFL Players Dispute Rightful Ownership of Miami Property

On August 2, 2018, a judge denied an “emergency motion” requesting a temporary injunction to prevent a Miami property purportedly owned by former NFL player, Antonio Bryant, from being conveyed to a third party by another former NFL player, Chuck Sanders.  Bryant filed the motion after claiming that Sanders forged Bryant’s signature on a 2012 deed to himself, and in February 2018, inappropriately conveyed Bryant’s North Miami Beach parcel to a Pennsylvania company called DTT North LLC (“DTT”).

The dispute began after Sanders made a …

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Concussions / Fraud / NFL

Update: Judge Denies Special Investigator in NFL Concussion Settlement

Recently, a judge denied the NFL’s Request to hire a special investigator in the billion-dollar concussion settlement case. According to Judge Anita B. Brody, “[t]he NFL Parties have provided sufficient evidence of possible fraud to warrant serious concern … however, the Claims Administrator and Special Masters have demonstrated that they are capable of ferreting out any claims involving misrepresentations, omissions, or concealment of material fact, and ensuring that those claims are not paid.”

As we have previously reported, counsel representing the NFL asked Judge …

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Concussions / NFL

Update: Arguments Heard on Special Investigator in NFL Concussion Settlement

As we have previously reported, the NFL continues to sort through the claimants involved in its billion dollar concussion settlement. The claimants are former NFL players and families of deceased players seeking to recover against the NFL for concussive injuries resulting from their time spent playing for the league.

On May 30, 2018, counsel for the NFL, Richard Tarlowe, asked a Pennsylvania federal judge during arguments to bolster the investigation of legitimate claims by supplementing the process with an additional investigator. Recent audits completed …

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Basketball / Litigation / NCAA

Rick Pitino Shoots Back at Adidas’ Motion to Dismiss Emotional Distress Suit

Dribbling around the allegations connecting him to a bribery scandal, former University of Louisville men’s basketball coach, Rick Pitino, fought back against Adidas’ arguments to toss his claim alleging emotional distress. Adidas filed a motion at the end of November to either dismiss the case for failure to state a claim or stay it in favor of mandatory arbitration because of a provision in a contract between Pitino and Adidas. Pitino, in response, argued the product endorsement contract with Adidas does not apply to …

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NCAA

Eight People Indicted in NCAA Bribery Scandal

A series of indictments unsealed on Wednesday, November 8, 2017 reveal more of the iceberg of the dark underbelly of college basketball. The scandal was publicized in September when ten individuals were arrested. The new indictments named Adidas executive Jim Gatto, sports agent Christian Dawkins, Auburn University associate head coach Chuck Person, Oklahoma State University assistant coach Lamont Evans, University of Arizona assistant coach Emanuel Richardson, University of Southern California assistant coach Anthony Bland, former Adidas adviser Merl Code and former NCAA referee Rashan Michel. …

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NCAA

Bribery Scandal Rocks the NCAA

Federal investigators in New York arrested ten individuals and then publicized three complaints on Tuesday, September 26, 2017 that depict a thriving black market for teenage athletes and “the dark underbelly of college basketball.” The covert probe began in 2015, when a fallen financial adviser agreed to wear a wire for the FBI. Calls and meetings were wiretapped, and coaches unknowingly talked to undercover agents posing as financial advisors.

One scheme involved four NCAA assistant basketball coaches at schools in the “Power 5” conferences of …

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Fraud / MLB

Defrauding Chicago’s Legendary Team

The jury needed less than five hours to decide whether a rooftop owner defrauded the Chicago Cubs. On July 22, 2016, a jury convicted Marc Hamid of fraud and illegal bank structuring. Hamid had once been co-owner of Skybox on Sheffield, a rooftop that charges clients to drink, eat, and watch Chicago Cubs games from outside the field. Additionally, Hamid owned two ticket brokerage companies, JustGreatTickets.com and Just Great Seats. Following his indictment in March, Hamid was terminated and relieved of his duties and involvement …

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Fraud

Texas Supreme Court Agrees to Hear Golf Channel Ponzi Scheme Question

In 2012, R. Allen Stanford, a former financier and professional sports sponsor, was convicted of various fraud, money laundering, and conspiracy charges based on his role as the head of massive Ponzi scheme.  His more than $7 billion certificate of deposit fraud landed him in prison for 110 years.  Since that time, a court-appointed receiver has been attempting to recover the money from various sources.

While the fraud was ongoing, it got so large that Stanford used mass marketing to get the word out about …

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