Defense Team For Carlos Watson Asks Judge To Dismiss Fraud Charges, Claiming Racial Bias

Lawyers for Black entrepreneur and Ozy Media Founder Carlos Watson asked a judge on Aug. 2 to dismiss the fraud charges against him as they claim the prosecutors have a reputation for targeting people of color, WALB News 10 reports.

Watson’s lead attorney, Ronald S. Sullivan Jr., filed a motion accusing the Eastern District of New York prosecutors of criminalizing his client for behavior normally accepted for other Silicon Valley startups, citing BuzzFeed and Vice Media examples. “Their founders reportedly — and in some cases, admittedly — engaged in conduct that differs from the conduct charged in Mr. Watson’s Indictment in only one way: their conduct was, by orders of magnitude, far more egregious,” Sullivan wrote. “And yet they have not been indicted.”

Watson, the former CEO of Ozy Media, was arrested and charged with fraud in February 2023. Black Enterprise reported that Watson was released on a $1 million bond and was due in court in March. If convicted, the ex-media mogul will be sentenced to a mandatory minimum of two years in prison up to a maximum sentence of 37 years. United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York called Watson a “con man whose business strategy was based on outright deceit and fraud.”

Sullivan is asking US Attorney General Merrick Garland for an update on the request for the DOJ to investigate the alleged racially biased practices within the New York District’s office. According to Sullivan, he feels the type of cases the Brooklyn federal prosecutors pursue should be looked into. Reports began circulating that the white prosecutors who charged Watson sought 90% of their cases against people of color since 2019. Sullivan says this case is bigger than his client. “Entrepreneuring while Black cannot be a crime,” Sullivan wrote. “This defense is about more than one defendant. It is about ensuring that every American, including the 47 million who are proud African Americans, receive equal justice under the law.”