NEW YORK — Former TELEVISION character Carlos Watson was foundedguilty Tuesday in a federal monetary conspiracy case about Ozy Media, an enthusiastic start-up that collapsed after another executive impersonated a YouTube executive to buzz the business’s success.
Watson, 53, hadactually been complimentary on bail however was taken into custody to waitfor sentencing, set for Nov. 18.
Brooklyn-based U.S. Attorney Breon Peace stated the decision held Watson responsible for “brazen criminalactivities” that were suggested to keep cash-strapped Ozy afloat however eventually sank it.
“The jury discovered that Watson was a con guy who informed lie upon lie upon lie to trick financiers into purchasing stock in his business,” Peace stated in a declaration, including that the business “collapsed under the weight of Watson’s unethical plans.”
Peace’s workplace stated a jury discovered Watson guilty of all the charges versus him: conspiracy to devote securities scams, conspiracy to dedicate wire scams and worsened identity theft. Ozy Media likewise was foundedguilty of the exactsame conspiracy offenses, the just charges the business dealtwith.
Watson and Ozy had pleaded not guilty and rejected the accusations. He affirmed that Ozy’s money squeezes were requirement start-up speed bumps and that products offered to financiers keptinmind that the details wasn’t examined and might modification — “like ‘buyer beware,’” he stated.
The defense blamed any misstatements on Ozy co-founder and chief operating officer Samir Rao, who has pleaded guilty.
Watson and Ozy strategy to appeal, attorneys Ronald Sullivan, Janine Gilbert and Shannon Frison stated in a declaration.
Watson’s lovedones and fans left court without commenting, however using black t-shirts emblazoned with, “Whose kid is next?”
Watson might face years in jail, though sentencing standards for specific accuseds differ. Now-defunct Ozy dealswith capacity monetary charges.
Watson, a cabletelevision news host who’d worked on Wall Street and offered his own education-related start-up, developed of Ozy in2012 The Mountain View, California-based business produced reveals and provided “Ozy Genius” awards to college trainees. It talkedto previous Presid