Feds Accuse Ozy Founder of Sneaky Last-Minute Move Before Trial

Federal prosecutors say they have “significant authenticity concerns” about nearly half of the defense exhibits submitted by Ozy Media founder Carlos Watson just days ahead of his trial on fraud charges stemming from the alleged use of bogus documents to dupe lenders and investors.

“The authenticity concerns are especially acute here because the government anticipates that it will prove at trial, among other things, that the defendants conspired to falsify and forge business agreements on numerous occasions, including by changing dollar figures and modifying other key terms to make them appear more favorable to the company,” states a May 27 letter from the U.S. Attorney’s Office to U.S. District Judge Eric R. Komitee. “At this late stage of the case, the government has no realistic means of confirming that the agreements the defendants have identified in its latest disclosure are accurate and authentic.”

Watson, 53, was arrested in February 2023 and charged with conspiracy to commit securities fraud, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, and aggravated identity theft. His trial is scheduled to begin Wednesday in Brooklyn federal court.

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