Latest news with #Beers
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Yahoo
Pierce County man sentenced in ‘high-volume' drug redistribution tied to prison gangs
A Pierce County man described as a 'high-volume' drug redistributor for the leader of a drug distribution ring tied to white supremacist prison gangs was sentenced Friday in U.S. District Court in Tacoma. Gregory Beers, 32, of Edgewood, received a total of 12.5 years in prison from U.S. District Court Judge David G. Estudillo. 'This is a very serious crime,' said at sentencing, according to a news release from the Acting U.S. Attorney's Office. 'It involved thousands and thousands of fentanyl pills, which wreak havoc on our community. There are people literally dying from these drugs and it leaves a wake of destruction for those who survive.' According to federal prosecutors, Beers was a high-volume drug redistributor for Jesse James Bailey, the leader of one of three branches of the drug distribution organizations tied to two Aryan prison gangs. On March 22, 2023, law enforcement made two dozen arrests on federal charges. Law enforcement seized 177 firearms, more than 10 kilos of methamphetamine, 11 kilos of fentanyl pills and more than a kilo of fentanyl powder, three kilos of heroin, and over $330,000 in cash from 18 locations in Washington and Arizona. 'Earlier in the investigation, law enforcement seized 830,000 fentanyl pills, 5.5 pounds of fentanyl powder, 223 pounds of methamphetamine, 3.5 pounds of heroin, 5 pounds of cocaine, $388,000 in cash, and 48 firearms,' the release noted. Prosecutors say Beers fled his residence on March 23, leaving behind drugs, cash, body armor and firearms. Law enforcement said that the residence contained heroin, fentanyl, methamphetamine and detailed drug ledgers. Police also found guns as well as bullet-proof vests in two of the bedrooms, digital scales, ammunition and nearly $5,000 in cash. Inside Beers' Mercedes, agents found more weapons and ammunition, as well as two Kevlar ballistic vests, and small bags of heroin and fentanyl powder. The trunk held another handgun and a bag of bullets, law enforcement said. Beers was arrested on April 11, 2023, after being found living in an RV parked at a Tacoma home and dealing narcotics, according to prosecutors. 'Even after seeing that his co-conspirators were arrested and knowing that he too was sought by police, Gregory Beers continued his drug trafficking, arming himself with guns,' Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller said in a statement. 'He was arrested with two firearms, $7,000 in cash and some $36,000 worth of jewelry that he would wear around his neck — all proceeds of drug trafficking.' Last June, Beers pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. In asking the court for the 12.5-year prison term, prosecutors noted that Beers was blatant about his drug dealing. 'Beers flaunted his drug trafficking and illegal firearm possession, sending videos of his firearms and drug proceeds to (Department of Corrections) inmates,' prosecutors wrote to the court. 'All of this was done for the purpose of his own personal enrichment, including his purchase of expensive jewelry.' According to Friday's release, three connected drug rings in the case were identified over an 18-month wiretap investigation. The three distribution rings were working together as the Aryan Family/Omerta Drug Trafficking Organization, the release stated, one of which was led by Beers' co-defendant Jesse Bailey. Bailey has pleaded guilty and is scheduled for sentencing on July 2, the release added.
Bloomberg
29-05-2025
- Business
- Bloomberg
JPMorgan CIO on the Global Bank's AI Approach: Tech Disruptors
'Agent to agent interactions are very different than traditional system to system interactions, and so there's a huge uplift we're thinking about today that we need to be there to get to that truly agentic autonomous world.' Notes Lori Beer, chief information officer of JPMorgan Chase. In this episode of Tech Disruptors, Beers sits down with senior banking analyst and research director Alison Williams as well as senior technology analyst Anurag Rana to discuss the technology progress and challenges facing the global financial institution. This episode covers ways JPMorgan Chase is pursuing automation and AI, while taking into consideration aspects such as cloud vs. on premise, cybersecurity and buy vs. build.
Economic Times
13-05-2025
- Business
- Economic Times
De Beers secretly sells discounted diamonds to selected traders
Reuters FILE: Diamonds are displayed during a visit to the De Beers Global Sightholder Sales (GSS) in Gaborone, Botswana. De Beers has been quietly selling rough diamonds at sharply marked-down prices to a small handful of customers, in a highly unusual move that's fueling tensions across an industry already mired in secret deals appear aimed at reducing De Beers's ballooning inventories without openly cutting prices — something the company typically tries to avoid, but which has led to a big gap between its official pricing and valuations in the wider diamond market. De Beers usually holds 10 sales in Botswana each year for its roughly 70 registered buyers, where prices are recent months, De Beers has sold hundreds of millions of dollars of rough diamonds through side deals with a small number of its customers, according to buyers who asked not to be identified discussing private information. The company has been selling the stones at a 10% to 20% discount to its set prices, the people about the sales are adding to tensions among De Beers's buyers who weren't selected for the special deals, and are still expected to pay the company's official rate at its set-piece sales. The deals show the dilemma De Beers faces as it comes under pressure from owner Anglo American Plc to boost sales, while it's also seeking to support the global market by avoiding across-the-board price cuts. The almost unprecedented move by De Beers comes at a pivotal time for the company that invented the modern diamond industry. The diamond market has finally started showing signs of stabilizing after a prolonged demand crisis that sent global prices plunging, although President Donald Trump's trade war has created fresh turmoil, with the diamond industry scrambling to avoid proposed levies. De Beers itself is under pressure from Anglo to reduce costs and stem losses. The larger miner is seeking to sell the diamond business as part of its own turnaround strategy announced last year. While a sale may take some time, De Beers's management is under strict instructions to stop building stockpiles of unsold stones. De Beers has also been drastically cutting costs, including shuttering its lab-grown Lightbox unit last week.A spokesperson for De Beers declined to Beers wields considerable power in the rough-diamond market because of its role as the biggest supplier of new its normal sales, De Beers sets the prices and tells its customers – known in the industry as 'sightholders' — how much they are expected to purchase. While buyers can refuse, doing so can jeopardize their access to supplies in the Beers typically tries to avoid price cuts because its outsize influence means such a move can have a devastating impact on sentiment. Recent signs that the market is starting to recover mean that now would be a particularly bad time to officially lower the situation has grown increasingly fraught over the past year, as De Beers's reluctance to make significant cuts has left its official rates far higher than plunging valuations in the wider market. Bloomberg reported previously that many of its customers had stopped buying, and some had stopped showing up at the sales at to the tensions, De Beers told its clients late last year that it's likely to reduce their number in buyers who haven't been tapped for discounted deals are complaining there's a lack of transparency about which customers have been selected and why. Some customers also risk being undercut by rivals when it comes to selling polished stones to unusual move by De Beers comes as the battered diamond market grapples with the implications of Trump's import tariffs. The US is the world's biggest diamond market but doesn't mine any gems itself. Roughly 90% of diamonds are manufactured in India's giant cutting and polishing diamond imports to the US are currently subject to a 10% tariff, and face further levies when the 90-day pause on reciprocal tariffs comes to an end. Traders have already poured large volumes of stones into the US market to get ahead of tariffs, but fear a slump in demand if US consumers are forced to pay more because of the levies. Purchases have slowed as companies responsible for cutting and polishing worry about being stuck with inventory that is no longer profitable to sell to the US. The industry is lobbying for an exemption from tariffs.
Associated Press
13-05-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
Colleen Beers Appointed Chief Commercial Officer at TPG Inc. Powered by Anna
Seasoned CX Leader to Spearhead Marketing and Growth Initiatives HUNTSVILLE, ALABAMA / ACCESS Newswire / May 13, 2025 / TPG Inc., powered by Anna, proudly announces the appointment of Colleen Beers as its new Chief Commercial Officer. In this pivotal role, Beers will oversee marketing strategies and corporate growth, reinforcing the company's commitment to delivering exceptional customer Beers Chief Commercial Officer With over 30 years of experience in the customer experience (CX) industry, Beers brings a wealth of knowledge and a proven track record of transformative leadership, with her most recent roles at Alorica as Chief Administrative Officer, President of North America and Europe and Head of Client Services was responsible for transformation, execution and growth globally. Beers is renowned for her authentic leadership style, emphasising the importance of culture, innovation, and employee empowerment leading organisations to profitable growth. She has been a vocal advocate for integrating AI technologies to enhance human potential, ensuring that technological advancements serve to improve both employee and customer experiences. 'Colleen's extensive network and CX expertise are invaluable assets to our business and Community,' said Lisa DeFalco, CEO of TPG. 'Her visionary approach to customer-centric growth and her dedication to operational excellence align perfectly with our mission to deliver unparalleled value to our clients. Colleen's appointment is a strategic move for TPG as we expand Anna's market share.' 'I'm thrilled to join the TPG team,' said Beers. 'The company's commitment to innovation, customer satisfaction and solving customer experience issues resonates with my own professional values. I look forward to collaborating with the team to drive growth and deliver exceptional experiences to our clients. TPG has been reinventing the way businesses interact with their customers through front line leadership coaching, QA methodologies, analytics and now powered with Anna®.' About TPG, Powered by Anna® TPG, powered by Anna®, our conversational intelligence platform powered by the market's only proprietary emotional intelligence LLM, partners with the most recognised global brands to create The Ideal Conversation™ by assessing customer interactions to drive connections, resolution and loyalty. Contact InformationDom Nicastro Editor in Chief Simpler Media CMS WireMichelle Hawley Editorial Director Simpler Media Group SOURCE: TPGinc press release
Miami Herald
09-04-2025
- Business
- Miami Herald
Liquor giant trades Diddy's vodka for Lebron James' tequila stake
Liquor company Diageo and rapper Sean "Diddy" Combs joined forces in 2007 to market his Cîroc Ultra-Premium Vodka and extended the partnership in 2014 by purchasing his tequila brand, DeLeón. However, the amicable relationship ended a few years later when in May 2023, Combs filed a lawsuit against Diageo for allegedly neglecting his two liquor brands, DeLeón and Cîroc. The rapper claimed the company treated his brands as inferior products, made racist remarks against him, and didn't make promised investments. Don't miss the move: Subscribe to TheStreet's free daily newsletter Less than a year later, Diageo and Combs reached an agreement to end their business relationship in January 2024. As part of this agreement, the rapper would dismiss his lawsuit and withdraw all allegations made against the liquor company. However, Diagio remained the sole owner of DeLeón tequila and Cîroc vodka at the time. Related: King of Beers wants to become king of vodka teas Allegations of rape and abuse surfaced about Combs that same year, which tainted his image and reputation. This caused Diageo to receive continuous backlash and its sales to plummet due to the previous partnership. Image source:Diageo (DEO) announced it is forming a joint venture with the leading investment and advisory firm MainStreet Advisors to exchange its majority ownership of Cîroc Ultra-Premium Vodka's brand rights in the U.S. for majority ownership in Lobos 1707 worldwide, which is NBA star LeBron James' tequila brand. Both companies will oversee the Cîroc brand in North America and the Lobos 1707 brand worldwide, according to the announcement. However, Cîroc will not be included in Diageo's North American financial results. Instead, it will be reported under income from the joint venture and associates, but classification will remain unchanged in all other markets. Related: Major tequila company makes huge tariff announcement The companies claim this decision was made to maximize the value of Cîroc and Lobos 1707 brand rights worldwide. "Cîroc and Lobos 1707 have incredible potential, and through this collaboration, we are unlocking new opportunities to accelerate their reach, resonance, and revenue growth in ways that traditional models cannot achieve," said MainStreet Advisors CEO Paul Wachter. However, the business move comes after the settlement of the ongoing legal battle to end its partnership with Combs and the surfacing of his recent controversies. North America is Diageo's largest market, accounting for 40% of its net sales and around 50% of its operating profit. As for its liquor categories, vodka's market share in the region was 44% in 2024, and tequila's was 34%. Although the swap would mean that Diageo replaced a more consumed liquor with a slightly less popular one, Lobos 1707 has a better reputation than Cîroc due to LeBron James' celebrity presence in the American market. More Retail News: Walmart may have a tariff-proof weaponTarget unveils genius strategy to boost seasonal salesKroger makes big move to be much cooler store Lobos 1707 launched in 2020, with LeBron James as an investor. Since then, the tequila brand has grown in popularity among the younger generations, making it a lucrative investment due to its huge growth potential. This is why Diageo wanted to obtain the worldwide rights of this brand. Diageo and MainStreet Advisors appointed TikTok's Former Global Head of Marketing, Nick Tran, as the joint venture's President and Chief Marketing Officer. "Nick has a reputation for transforming brands into cultural icons and developing consumer and digital strategies focused on Gen Z audiences. Within the JV, Cîroc vodka and Lobos 1707 tequila will each maintain their distinct identities and consumer appeal and leaders," stated the announcement. Related: Veteran fund manager unveils eye-popping S&P 500 forecast The Arena Media Brands, LLC THESTREET is a registered trademark of TheStreet, Inc.
