Carlos Watson of Ozy Media Found Guilty of Multi-Million Dollar Fraud and Identity Theft, Faces Up to 37 Years

Jul 16, 2024, 06:53 PM

Carlos Watson, founder and former CEO of Ozy Media Inc., has been found guilty on all three counts of a multi-million dollar fraud scheme and identity theft. A Brooklyn federal jury in New York convicted Watson and Ozy Media of defrauding investors by lying about the startup's finances and fabricating deals with entities such as Google and Oprah Winfrey. The case also involved allegations of Watson coaching his co-founder to impersonate a YouTube executive to secure funding from Goldman Sachs. Watson faces up to 37 years in prison following this conviction. U.S Attorney Peace stated that Watson deceived investors by inventing phony financial figures and causing others to forge fake contracts and impersonate media executives.