Fat Joe has filed a lawsuit against his longtime accounting firm and two of its employees, claiming they stole millions of dollars in a fraud that has the “hallmarks of a Ponzi scheme.”
via: Vibe
Upon encountering several discrepancies within his business accounts, the Bronx rapper is suing his longtime CPA Andre N. Chammas and his firm BDO. TMZ reports that the 52-year-old noticed a misappropriation of funds under both his and his wife Lorena Cartagena’s name, and the use of several MLB players’ accounts to cover their tracks.
Allegedly, AMEX accounts had been opened upon Cartagena’s name without the couple being notified, in addition to the MLB players Jose Iglesias (Colorado Rockies), Luis Garcia (Houston Astros), and Dayan Viciedo (Chicago White Sox). The credit cards were reportedly used to make tuition payments for the daughter of Chammas’ former assistant Vanessa Rodriguez, plus Uber and Uber Eats purchases amounting to $40,000. Notably, the “Lean Back” artist noticed the financial mismanagement soon after Rodriguez was fired by Chammas.
Additionally, Fat Joe’s company Sneaker Addict Touring was allegedly missing over $300,000. A Ponzi scheme of sorts was created to mask the wrongdoing, where the aforementioned MLB players’ accounts were used to transfer funds between one another without any documentation or the need for actual cash.
This situation follows Joe’s long history of financial legal battles, including tax evasion, tax underpayment, and the rights to Joe’s 2016 hit “All The Way Up” with Remy Ma and French Montana.
