Ozy Media Founder & CEO Carlos Watson Arrested, Charged With Fraud
deadline.comOzy Media founder Carlos Watson was arrested and charged with fraud by federal investigators, according to multiple news reports.
Prosecutors said in a court document that Watson had “engaged in a scheme to defraud Ozy’s potential investors, potential acquirers, lenders and potential lenders” by inflating the site’s audience numbers and financials in a scandal that began to unfold last fall.
Ozy shut down in October of 2021 after the New York Times reported that someone at the company had apparently impersonated a YouTube executive during a conference call with Goldman Sachs, which was considering an investment.
The person – later named as Samir Rao, Ozy’s chief operating officer — praised the performance of Ozy’s videos on the giant platform and the two companies’ good working relationship.
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