Another Tinder Swindler!? Massachusetts Man Sentenced For Stealing Millions From Online Dating Victims
A Massachusetts man has been sentenced to 4 1/2 years in prison after scamming millions from unsuspecting online daters.
Kofi Osei, 30, was sentenced to prison last week after being convicted of stealing $8 million in proceeds from his victims, $4 million of which went directly into his personal accounts, WRALreports. Osei is accused of creating fake dating profiles and building trust with online daters before regaling the victims with stories of oil rig explosions and being locked up in foreign jails.
Osei and his accomplices are said to have targeted older victims from 2016 to 2020, where they were tricked into transferring money to one of dozens of shady bank accounts that were opened using fake passports, aliases, and fake business names.
The money would be quickly withdrawn and sometimes used to buy cars that were sent to Nigeria and sold. One woman in Florida sent Osei $200,000 after he claimed he needed the money to get released from custody following an explosion on his oil rig.
Prosecutors said another woman was “left financially and emotionally devastated,” after sending Osei $65,000 to help support employees she was told were injured in an accident at his overseas worksite. That victim was also told that Osei needed money to get released from jail.
He went by different names during his schemes, including Paul Proia, Kenneth Buck, Jeffrey Anashe, Author Ivey, David Label, Manuel Abdalla, and Andrew Matses, MSN reports.
A native of Ghana, Osei moved to the United States legally to pursue a professional soccer career. He was arrested in February 2021 and pleaded guilty in September to making a false statement to a bank, wire fraud, and money laundering, WJARreports.
In addition to the 4 1/2-year sentence, Osei was also ordered to pay $4,122,558 in restitution and forfeiture. His legal team claims he is a remorseful loving father with no prior criminal history who made “a poor and misguided decision.”
Tyrese Gibson Learned A Lesson On Equity After Selling The Home He Bought at Age 16
Tyrese Gibson is schooling homeowners in the value of equity.
On a recent episode of theR&B Money Podcast, the 44-year-old talked about learning how important equity is after selling his first home. He told hosts, singers Tank and J Valentine, that he was only 16 years old when he purchased the home, thanks to recently being signed to RCA Records, after being courted by 20 other labels.
When Valentine asked how heavy the bag was, Gibson was shy with his response: $2.5 million. “But Andre didn’t offer the bag. RCA offered the bag.”
While that amount of money seems like a lot in the mid-90s, Gibson broke down that it depended on the budget.. He reminisced on a conversation with a colleague he referred to as “The Big Homie” who advised him to invest because you never want to think “shoulda woulda coulda.” With that sound advice and what was left of his money, Gibson purchased a four-bedroom, two-car garage home, for $197,000, in the California suburbs of Hawthorne.
More than 10 years later, the “Sweet Lady” singer sold the house and learned from his Realtor what equity really was. “I knew nothing about business, I knew nothing about real estate, and the lady said, ‘Oh, you did really well on this house,” Gibson said. Confused on what she was referring to, he asked for more details. “You got a lot of equity. The house was bought for $197,900, but now it’s worth $415.”
“The house is paid for and when you sell your house, you’re going to be able to get a much bigger number. It’s equity.”
The lesson shows the importance of education for young homebuyers as different programs are being created to teach.
In California, Black homeownership peaked in 2004 with a rate of 50.98%, but decreased over other racial and ethnic groups in the state. Last year, the Bay Area Black Housing Advisory Task Force supported the community with the “Bay Area Regional Black Housing Fund” initiative, which helped repair the injustices that shaped the housing experiences of Black people in the Bay Area.
Ryan Coogler In Talks to Reboot ‘The X-Files’ With A ‘Diverse’ Cast
After successfully diversifying the Marvel Cinematic Universe, director Ryan Coogler could be tackling a reboot of The X-Files.
Chris Carter, the creator of the classic sci-fi series, recently appeared on the CBC radio show On the Coast With Gloria Macarenko where he discussed the series’ 30th anniversary and trumpeted Coogler’s addition to the reboot, as noted by The Hollywood Reporter.
“I just spoke to a young man, Ryan Coogler, who is going to remount ‘The X-Files’ with a diverse cast,” Carter revealed.
He touched on how much more developed the reboot would be in comparison to the original when it comes to tackling conspiracy theories.
“[Coogler] has his work cut out for him because we covered so much territory,” Carter said.
The X-Files enjoyed a 10-year run on Fox from 1993-2002 and released two feature-length films, 1998’s The X-Files and The X-Files: I Want to Believe, in 2008. David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson starred in the series as FBI special agents Fox Mulder and Dana Scully and appeared in two mini-revivals in 2016 and 2018.
After the second revival, Anderson said she was done playing Agent Scully. Since the final season in 2018, one of the longest-running science fiction series in network TV history, has moved from Fox to Disney—where Coogler’s Proximity Media inked a five-year overall TV deal.
Coogler signed the deal with Disney in February 2021 with expectations to release a series around Wakanda as well as additional TV programming that would be exclusive to the streaming giant, CNBC reported.
“Ryan Coogler is a singular storyteller whose vision and range have made him one of the standout filmmakers of his generation,” Bob Iger, executive chairman of The Walt Disney Company said then.
Coogler’s Black Panther: Wakanda Foreverraked in $1.3 billion worldwide and became the first Marvel Cinematic University movie to earn an Oscar nomination for acting. The 2019 original was nominated for best picture.
Eva Marcille’s Husband Aims to ‘Fight’ to Save Their Marriage After Her Divorce Filing
Eva Marcille might be ready to throw in the towel on her marriage, but Michael Sterling is willing to “fight” to keep her as his wife.
“The Real Housewives of Atlanta” alum made media headlines after word got out about her recent divorce filing. But in wake of the shocking news, Marcille’s husband is professing his love for the television star and vows to save their marriage.
“I am not going to lose my wife. I am going to fight for her with every fiber in my being,” Sterling toldPage Six on Wednesday.
“I love her and I plan to show her how much I love her and that our love is strong enough to get to the other side.”
Sterling, who shares two children with Marcille and adopted her eldest from a previous relationship, is adamant that he’ll get his wife back despite her move to dissolve their five-year marriage.
“I am not going to lose my wife. I am going to win her back,” he declared.
Marcille filed for divorce from Sterling last Thursday claiming the marriage was “irretrievably broken” and there are “no prospects for a reconciliation.” She also requested child support and legal and primary custody of their two sons, Michael “Mikey” Jr., 4, and Maverick, 3.
“This has been one of the hardest decisions I have ever had to make, but sometimes life takes your journey in a direction you were not expecting,” she toldPeople on Tuesday.
“Our children remain our biggest priority, and the eight and half years we have spent together will always be cherished. We ask that you respect our privacy at this time.”
The “America’s Next Top Model” winner posted a video that same day telling her followers to “smile” amid her surprising divorce news.
“That’s a fake ass smile, but it’s okay,” she said. “Smile anyway, right?”
Our Life, Our Way: John Legend Defends Decision to Share Wife Chrissy Teigen’s Pregnancy Loss
John Legend and his wife, Chrissy Teigen, are one of the more transparent couples in Hollywood. Never afraid to share the highs and the lows that make them human, the pair has been met with praise and ridicule alike over the years.
This sentiment was never truer in 2020 than when the couple decided to share the loss of their third child, Jack, who died after complications with partial placental abruption led Chrissy to be induced at just 20 weeks.
“After a couple nights at the hospital, my doctor told me exactly what I knew was coming—it was time to say goodbye,” Chrissy wrote in a blog post published weeks after she shared the news. When the “All Of Me” singer and the Sports Illustrated supermodel first made the decision to publicly share their grief, the comments were flooded with women who had faced the same loss.
However, the trolls soon surfaced.
Some people criticized the peek into their private lives. Last year, Teigen admitted she underwent a medical abortion rather than a miscarriage or stillbirth. For context, these abortions use medication to induce labor and delivery in pregnancies with birth defects or complications and are mainly used after 16 weeks. Responses to her confession were laced in vitriol.
“It’s hard because you feel—especially being the man in the relationship, not carrying the baby yourself—you feel this strong sense of grief but also this powerlessness, because you want to be there to protect, you want to be there to help, but you literally can’t do anything to really solve the core problem here,” he said. “So it was just heartbreaking. We felt powerless, and it was a deep, deep grief. Deep challenge, deep pain … We were able to get through it, but it was tough.”
About her decision to share Legend said, “She’d been sharing her journey through pregnancy…When it started getting complicated and she had to be in bed rest and we were trying to save the pregnancy, she was sharing all that. So it would have been weird to not share the outcome, ‘cause then it’s just like the baby just disappeared and there’s no explanation,” he said. “So it made sense to share it, but it was still hard.”
The couple has since welcomed daughter, Esti, into their family, which includes daughter Luna, 6 and son Miles, 4.
TCU Coach Gave A Touching Talk About Sexual Consent and Sexual Harassment to Football Players
Texas Christian University’s football players were blessed with a powerful speech by their strength and conditioning coach.
A video of Coach Kaz Kazdia has been circulating on social media. In the brief clip, Coach Kazdia gives TCU’s football players a talk about sexual consent and sexual harassment.
“Consent. Remember we went over consent? You’re with a young lady, she has to consent to every act. So if you were in the car with her and something went down in the car, that does not mean that something had to go down in the apartment.”
He continued, “If you’re in study hall and a tracker (track athlete) walks by you, and she’s got tights on and she’s going to study. You cannot f*cking say, ‘Look at that fat ass.’ That’s sexual f*cking harassment.”
It’s almost April, which means National Sexual Assault Awareness Month is rapidly approaching. With this, it’s important to shed light on sexual harassment. According to Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), from 2018-2021, the EEOC received 27,291 complaints of sexual harassment. EEOC says that these numbers have increased since #The MeToo movement gained national attention in 2017. Statistics also show that women file the majority of sexual harassment charges.
18.2% of total monetary benefits recovered by the EEOC included a claim for sexual harassment compared to 12.4% between FY 2014 and FY 2017.
The EEOC recovered $299.8 million for individuals with sexual harassment claims through resolved charge receipts and in litigation, benefiting 8,147 people.
The EEOC recovered nearly $104 million more for individuals with sexual harassment claims than in the period between FY 2014 and FY 2017–$83.8 million more through resolved charge receipts and an additional $20 million in litigation.
50 Cent Inks Deal to Become Official Spirit Partner of the Minnesota Timberwolves
50 Cent made his mark in the hip-hop game, has been making celebratory moves in the television industry, and is now setting his sights to make a dent in the sports world.
The In Da Club recording artist and his liquor company have reached a deal with The Minnesota Timberwolves. The NBA team has announced that a multiyear partnership has been signed with 50 Cent-owned Sire Spirits. With this arrangement, Sire Spirits is the “Official Spirit Partner of the Timberwolves” with its award-winning Branson Cognac. This also makes Le Chemin du Roi Champagne the “Official Champagne of the Timberwolves.”
“I had the opportunity to meet with the Timberwolves and knew they were the perfect partners for Sire Spirits,” said Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson. “I am a big fan of the team, and I am excited to spend more time in Minnesota and get to know all the fans.”
The Power executive will also incorporate his G-Unity Foundation into the relationship. They will co-host two community basketball clinics throughout the season with the Timberwolves & Lynx Basketball Academy. Those clinics will be held at the Timberwolves practice facility at Mayo Clinic Square and will be led by team officials.
Sire Spirits will also be the presenting sponsor of a “Sip & See” VIP pre-game happy hour for players’ wives, girlfriends, and family members.
“We are excited to launch this partnership with Sire Spirits and to introduce Wolves fans to Sire’s award-winning cognac and champagne,” said Timberwolves and Lynx Chief Operating Officer Ryan Tanke in a written statement. “Moreover, Curtis’ commitment through his G-Unity Foundation aligns with our community programming to not only grow the game of basketball but cultivate and foster life skills for our local youth.”
A year ago, 50 Cent signed a similar partnership deal with the Houston Rockets. That deal also showcases and sells Jackson’s award-winning Branson Cognac and Le Chemin du Roi Champagne brands. The spirits are sold at Houston Rockets games and Toyota Center events with multiple themed bars, a branded luxury suite, and a courtside loge box.
Start this Spring Fresh with Tips from Cleaning Icons Diane Amos and Vanesa Amaro
The season for spring cleaning is here and this is your sign to tidy up your space, but sometimes you need a little push.
“The Pine-Sol Lady” Diane Amos, and TikTok’s “Queen of Cleaning” Vanesa Amaro are here to help. Joining forces with Clorox, the spring cleaning icons shared some valuable cleaning tips with BLACK ENTERPRISE to embrace the new season and make way for fresh, new memories ahead.
Meet “The Pine-Sol Lady” and the “Queen of Cleaning”
Designated as the spokesperson for Original Pine-Sol Multi-Surface Cleaner, Amos has promoted cleanliness as the face of Pine-Sol Brand Cleaners’ advertising campaigns since 1993.
“When you are a spokesperson, you are the face of, and the embodiment of the product and it has really been an honor,” Amos says. “Pine-Sol is such a staple product that is so good and reliable and has had such a good reputation for so long.”
Dubbed the Pine-Sol Lady, Amos takes pride in knowing what the product does, helping people use it, and ensuring its reliability.
Amaro is the “Queen of Cleaning” and her love for tidying up stemmed from her experience as a professional housekeeper. She has built a community of over 5 million TikTok followers after sharing her cleaning tips and tricks on the platform throughout the 2020 pandemic.
“Something I knew how to do very well was cleaning and by the second video I realized that a lot of people were not taught how to clean properly,” she shares.
#TeamPineSol and #TeamCloroxBleach go head-to-head for a friendly cleaning competition
Clorox proposed the collaboration between the cleaning experts, bringing the two women from different backgrounds together and giving them a voice and space to use their passion to reach a wide span of communities.
“To me, it was the perfect pairing to have us both on this partnership,” Amos says. “I loved the suggestion of friendly competition, because at the end of the day, we’re really on the same team. It has been an honor getting to know Diane and her story. She really is an icon. It was so much fun to bring our own personalities. We were never asked to be anyone but ourselves.”
Clean inside and outside with Pine-Sol and Clorox Bleach
The spring cleaning icons shared some unexpected ways to use Clorox Bleach and Pine-Sol inside and outside the house.
Use a quarter cup of Original Pine-Sol Multi-Surface Cleaner and a gallon of water to clean the cushions on benches and chairs that furnish patio and backyard areas. Amos says the combination is “the magic remedy for making sure all those things are not only clean but that they stay clean,” and adds a reminder to wipe down picnic tables. If you have little ones with toys, place them in a bucket with your Pine-Sol solution. Refer to the product label for dilution instructions to help remove gunk and give them a good clean.
“Make sure to rinse them off thoroughly with water after and air dry, and I’m telling you, it makes a big difference!” Amos says.
Amaro shared how she uses Clorox Disinfecting Bleach around the house. She advises using it to clean dog toys, children’s toys, the shower curtain liner, and trash cans. Surprisingly, Amaro’s favorite use of the product is to make her flowers last longer.
“Clorox Disinfecting Bleach is safe to use on 50-plus surfaces, so the possibilities of cleaning different parts of your house are endless,” Amaro shares.
Maintain clean floors and surfaces throughout your living space
Maintaining clean floors and surfaces throughout your living space may feel daunting, but the chore is necessary for keeping the high-touch surfaces around your home free of germs and bacteria.
“I love having people over and to cook,” Amos says. “I always make sure everything from counters, cabinets and appliances is wiped down and not dusty. You want to make your guests feel comfortable knowing the surfaces they are eating off of are clean.”
She adds, “Floors are very important, because it’s really the first thing that people see when they step into your home.” Amos advises using a few accent. “You can keep them clean by regularly sweeping and cleaning them with Original Pine-Sol Multi-Surface Cleaner,” a product that cleans and disinfects simultaneously, Amos says.
The Queen of Cleaning believes an important tip is to clean as you go.
“Before it gets too dirty if you see something dirty, clean it up,” she says. “When it comes to floors and surfaces start by pre-washing the surface and then use your Clorox Disinfecting Bleach. You always want to refer to your product label for instructions to make your dilution and ensure you are allowing the solution to properly disinfect the area. Then give it a good rinse and let it air dry. It really is a staple–you can use for floors and so many other surfaces.”
Amaro says she’s big on seeing what people are touching, whether that’s doors, doorknobs or handrails.
“I love having Clorox Disinfecting Mist at hand to use on soft and hard surfaces. It’s such a game changer,” she shares. She emphasizes disinfecting before and after entertaining guests.
Achieve sparkling kitchenware and well-kept linens
Amos says Original Pine-Sol Multi-Surface Cleaner will keep your kitchen sparkling from top to bottom. This includes stove tops, garbage disposals, trashcans, cabinets, and appliance exteriors.
There’s no better feeling than a good night’s sleep on fresh, crisp white linens. Just put a 1/3 cup of Clorox Disinfecting Bleach in the washer with your linens. They won’t just look amazing, because Clorox Disinfecting Bleach does an amazing job of keeping your whites white, but they’ll feel amazing.
Maintain a clean home on a busy schedule
People are becoming more aware of the effect a clean space has on their daily productivity. As tiring as the task may seem, the spring cleaning icons advised how busy people can maintain a clean home throughout the year.
“My number-one tip is to not beat yourself up with what you didn’t get to do,” Amos says. “Remember to give yourself credit for what you CAN do…instead make small strides every day or every week.” She suggested creating a list and tackling one item at a time. Move at a pace that feels comfortable.
Amaro agrees. “Make small goals for yourself along the way and involve the family,” she says, adding that if you need help, ask, even if it means hiring someone.
The duo’s video series airs across social media platforms, including TikTok and Instagram, this month.
‘No Monthly Allowances’ Nick Cannon Clarifies Being A ‘Provider’ to His Six Baby Mamas
Nick Cannon is a proud “provider” to his 11 children and their mothers. But he isn’t giving out “monthly allowances” or anything.
The Masked Singer host has been out promoting his Future Superstar tour and was recently asked about his relationships with his baby mamas and whether or not he’s breaking the bank to provide for his multiple families.
“It ain’t even about a monthly allowance or amount of money because I don’t give myself that,” he toldHot 104.1. “What they need, they get it.”
“There’s never been something that one of the mothers of my children has asked for and they didn’t receive…. That’s why they call me the provider,” he added.
Cannon, who fathered 12 children with six different women, expressed his love for each of his kids’ mothers for blessing him with the gift of fatherhood.
“I have so much respect and admiration for the individual,” he said.
“Everybody has their challenges – but when you really understand this woman has given the greatest sacrifice, and sacrificed her body to bring a child into (this world), that’s the best gift any man could ask for.”
“Regardless of what goes on in any scenario, I’m gonna always show love and respect,” he continued. “I’ll never say anything disrespectful or bad about any of the mothers of my children.”
The Wild N’ Out creator also hinted at possibly welcoming more children since he’s not entirely closed off to the idea.
“Is that a challenge?… I really don’t know,” Cannon jokingly asked. “I (tried) to say I wasn’t having (anymore) kids after two, after six, after eight… I don’t know, to be honest….”
Cannon recently praised his ex-wife Mariah Carey for being “a gift from God” and expressed his regrets for cheating and causing their 2016 divorce.
“I will never have a love like I had with Mariah.” Cannon said on The Hottie Show Podcast.
“It was literally like a fairytale with Mariah so I would rather it just be that way. I appreciate that fantasy because if I tried to go back and it wasn’t the same, I’d be like, ‘Damn, I messed it up.’ But, if I had the opportunity, if it could be the way it was, I’m there.”
Lil Wayne Denies $150M Net Worth Listed on Google, ‘I Don’t Have A Cent Close To That Sh*t’
Lil Wayne is unaware of the $150 million net worth that Google claims he has. The rapper recently denied having “a cent close to that sh*t.”
“Honestly, I’m gonna let everybody know now, when you go check a muthaf**ka’s net worth and that sh*t be saying some crazy numbers, I don’t have a cent close to that sh*t,” Wayne said on a recent appearance on Culture Millennials.
“Yeah, I don’t have that, but I guess they be meaning that’s what I’m worth.”
The Young Money creator says his Google net worth estimate has caused him to question his accountant about any shady business going on without his knowledge.
“I be always calling my agent and being like, ‘I’m telling you, bro, I’m gonna fire the sh*t out of you ’cause I don’t need you,” he quipped before noting how his Google-listed net worth serves as “motivation” to grind harder.
“I Googled that, you know what I mean? I’m like I’m a zillion dollar ni**a on Google bro … It’s motivation, that’s all. It’s just motivation.”
The rapper did recently sell his Miami mansion for $28 million. Despite his claims, outlets like Wealthy Gorilla list Wayne’s net worth at $170 million. Celebrity Net Worth credits the “A Milli” rapper’s net worth to the more than $100 million records he’s sold throughout his career and the sale of Young Money Masters to Universal Music for $100 million in July 2020.
The sale included the music catalog for rappers Drake and Nicki Minaj, two chart-topping artists Wayne signed early in their careers. While Lil Wayne denies having $150 million, his friend Jay-Z recently had Forbes update his net worth to $2.5 billion.
“Even in a year without a tour or album release, Jay-Z mints millions from his Armand de Brignac champagne and D’Usse cognac,” Forbes’ states.
