一位前葡萄酒和白酒经销商被判处 24 周五因使用该节目而被判入狱数月 “鲨鱼坦克” 作为欺诈投资者计划的一部分, according to federal prosecutors with the Eastern District of New York.
Joseph Falcone, 60, formerly operated the 3G’s VINO LLC, a wine and liquor distributor based in Bethpage and Farmingdale, 纽约. Among other products, 3G’s distributed a single-serving wine in a sealed glass, which had previously been featured on an episode of the reality pitch show “鲨鱼坦克,” according to a federal information.
Between September 2014 和十一月 2015, Falcone solicited investments and promised potential investors that their money would be used to fund 3G’s by purchasing the single-serving wine product, 根据检察官.
代替, Falcone used about $ 527,000 of those investments for his personal benefit, including to pay off the mortgage on a Florida residence and to fund his online securities trading, 根据检察官.
“Falcone’s victims were reeled in by his ‘Shark Tank’ 沥青, but with today’s sentence, the defendant is now squarely on the hook for his crimes,” said Seth D. DuCharme, acting US attorney for the Eastern District of New York. “This Office remains committed to prosecuting those who mislead the public and abuse the trust placed in them to engage in fraud against their own investors.”
Falcone pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud in June 2019. He was also ordered to pay $ 1.8 million in restitution to seven 3G’s investors.
In a sentencing memorandum, Falcone wrote a letter to the judge admitting to the fraud and apologizing for using business funds for his personal use.
“I took investors’ money for the purpose of investing it into a start up wine business. 然后, I wound up co-mingling funds with personal funds, and using some of the investors’ money for my own ends. As the business grew, so did the expenses, and I wound up not being able to pay all of the investors back,” 他写了.
“I was wrong to do this. For this, I am deeply sorry and fully accept responsibility,” 他加了.
The single-service wine product Copa di Vino was featured on an episode of “鲨鱼坦克” in season 2 and in season 3. The company is not accused of any wrongdoing.
Copa di Vino founder James Martin said in a statement the company was not involved in the scheme.
“Joseph Falcone did not pitch Copa di Vino on Shark Tank, nor was he ever an investor in the product. I was the only person to appear on the show on behalf of my brand. 事实上, I did not engage with his company, 3G’s VINO LLC, until four years after my Shark Tank pitch,” 马丁说.
“I am not familiar with any details around his indictment as we were in no way involved, but was very saddened to hear that he was using our Copa di Vino brand to mislead investors. His company was strictly our distributor. We severed ties with Joseph and his company in 2016.”
Flint, 密西根州, city council gets heated after ‘ghetto’ 评论
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The councilwoman who made the comment, Eva Worthing, later apologized for the comment as a "knee-jerk reaction" to what she saw as unfair treatment, but the arguments and racial statements show a history of heated rh...