The Breakfast Club’s DJ Envy confronts litigation more than his ties to help you Cesar Pina, who’s implicated away from a great ‘Ponzi-such scheme’. How performed a radio behemoth help something get this far?

It cannot add up

D J Envy try a great poster child to own hip-hop’s crossover on main-stream. For the past thirty years, the fresh 46-year-dated Queens native ran regarding hustling hiphop mixtapes to help you anchoring the latest Hello America of urban radio – The brand new Breakfast Club, where the guy performs the new part out-of schoolmarm on the “the fresh new earth’s most dangerous morning reveal”. The brand new character regarding unsuccessful home tycoon, however, might well be their swan tune now that Envy’s own audience accuse him out of perpetrating a fraud program they say bilked them off millions.

In the Oct, federal agents when you look at the Nj detained a 45-year-old influencer pal out of Envy’s and repeat Breakfast Pub guest named Cesar Pina to possess their thought role during the a great “Ponzi-instance funding swindle scheme”, charging you your having cord con

Prosecutors say Pina took funds from those personal backers to help you flip properties inside New jersey, promised to forty-five% efficiency into the five days, and you will skimmed those funds for themselves and very early very first buyers.

At least 20 litigation recorded around the exact same date given that government indictment define Pina since good conman and you may good slumlord: people say the guy solicited fund to have characteristics paras brasilialainen treffisivusto the guy didn’t individual otherwise actually bother to resolve up and suckered multiple anyone into paying in identical items of services, and all when you’re pocketing cash having his very own fool around with or to make entire having old investors. Alleged sufferers also accuse your out-of attempting to pay them straight back for the bling, and additionally branded parts produced by his cousin. 1 / 2 of the fresh new lawsuits up against Pina including named Jealousy (actual name: Raashaun Casey), blaming the new DJ to own platforming Pina into the Break fast Club and social network. Only history few days, Pina and Envy were entitled from inside the a beneficial $2m suit accusing all of them of employing the brand new sequence regarding real-house seminars it organized to one another since “funnels to attract inside sufferers”, and alleging violations regarding arranged offense legislation while the Nj Individual Ripoff Act.

The brand new traditional imagine to own Pina’s alleged ripoff finishes in the $25m, however, you to definitely barely talks about the newest increasing headcount regarding victims or Pina’s so-called side hustles: $200 to own summit seats, personal consultation services having $2,five-hundred. The last shape might possibly be from the vast sums, states Alexander Schachtel, a different Jersey attorney who represents many victims suing Pina and you can Envy.

“Jealousy and you can Pina told you for the registered clips which they very own dos,000 characteristics to one another worthy of more than $100m,” Schachtel says. “If that’s correct, why are it elevating funds from Joe Schmo brand new auto mechanic? ”

Pina, who has out on an effective $1m bond and you will confronts an optimum 20-season sentence along with a $250,000 great if convicted, claims their innocence. Envy was not charged with a criminal activity and also claims the guy lost $five-hundred,000 inside the a genuine house deal with Pina. The feds however noted Pina got married which have “a hollywood disk jockey and you may broadcast identification so you’re able to perform a property meetings around the nation” is care Jealousy along with his employers. At the least, Envy was responsible for that have Pina, an ex lover-fraud just who supposedly tackle the genuine property games when you are providing date to have charge card scam, into the Breakfast Club many times for the past five otherwise half a dozen many years. “I created Cesar,” Jealousy boasted inside a lately resurfaced tunes clip. “Cesar wouldn’t have the lifeline and/or lifetime he’s got as opposed to a great DJ Envy.”

“I imagined that they had some vetting procedure in position and also make sure that he was legit,” states Stanley Acosta, a beneficial 29-year-dated shopping banker out of Queens whom spent $150,000 inside Pina’s a home venture immediately after reading your into the Break fast Pub, which Acosta listened to towards the their commute towards the really works. “They boost anyone else on there usually – medical professionals, attorneys, other programs – plus they are the legit.”