Latest news with #Deleon
New York Post
07-05-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Post
George Clooney's Casamigos sued for allegedly charging ‘super premium prices' for less than pure agave tequila
George Clooney, or at least his tequila, may not be as smooth as he makes out. The Hollywood star helped make Casamigos the fourth best-selling tequila brand in the world, but it's now the subject of a lawsuit claiming consumers have been paying 'super premium prices' for an inferior quality product. Casamigos and another premium tequila brand, Don Julio, both claim they are made exclusively with 100% Blue Weber agave and retail for $50 to $150 per bottle as a result. Cheaper tequilas, known as 'mixtos,' require only 51% of the sugar in them comes from the agave plant, with the remainder usually ordinary cane sugar. 3 George Clooney, Rande Gerber, and Ric Edelman sold Casamigos to Diageo for nearly $1 billion. The new class-action lawsuit against Diageo, the parent company which owns both brands, claims that according to lab tests, a significant amount of the alcohol in Casamigos and Don Julio (who was a real person) is actually from cane sugar, which is much cheaper to produce. The federal suit was filed earlier this week in the Eastern New York division of the US District Court by Avi Pusatezri, a New Yorker who owns a company that teaches mixology, Chaim Mishulovin, and restaurant Sushi Tokyo. The plaintiffs are seeking $5 million each in damages. The case cites a new form of testing that can determine whether tequila has been adulterated with cane sugar. Ironically for tequila enthusiasts, if the lawsuit proves true, it would suggest they have been drinking potentially inferior products without noticing a significant difference. 3 According to a class-action suit, Don Julio may not be from 100% agave as it advertises. Getty Images for Haute Living In a statement, the firm behind the suit, Hagens Berman, told me, 'Diageo marketed its tequila brands as 'luxury' and 'super-premium' and sold them at prices that reflected those promises to consumers. Diageo is one of the biggest companies in this industry, but it's not above the law, and we believe this deception has a real price tag.' The lawsuit is a fresh headache for Diageo after it only recently resolved longstanding disputes with Diddy over his Ciroc vodka and Deleon tequila brands. Although Clooney and business partner Randy Gerber sold Casamigos to British company Diageo for $1 billion in 2017, the deal was staggered over the next ten years and included the pair staying on as brand ambassadors, according to the BBC. The company's website and social media still prominently feature them both and Gerber's wife, Cindy Crawford, has also appeared in promotional pics. 3 George Clooney launched the tequila brand with his co-founder more than a decade ago. Getty Images 'These claims of adulteration are outrageous and categorically false; Don Julio and Casamigos tequilas are crafted from 100% Blue Weber Agave and are in full compliance with the official tequila standard … We look forward to vigorously defending the quality and integrity of our Tequilas in court,' a spokesperson for Diageo said. Clooney did not immediately return a request for comment. This story is part of NYNext, an indispensable insider insight into the innovations, moonshots and political chess moves that matter most to NYC's power players (and those who aspire to be). While the suit is focused on two of Diageo's tequilas, one liquor executive told me the lawsuit could spark a reckoning in the booze industry and, if the testing holds up, spread to other premium brands. 'Anything that erodes trust in the industry isn't good,' he said, noting that many in the younger generation are embracing sobriety or 'California sober' lifestyles (avoiding alcohol and hard drugs, but still smoking weed). The lawsuit also underscores tensions between skilled agave farmers who grow the crops which make the premium product and the corporations which leverage celebrities such as Clooney to market their products and retain most of the profits. Unlike wineries, which typically grow grapes, produce wine, and distribute it, most agave farmers do not control the production or distribution of tequila. On the flip side, the lawsuit should prompt consumers to pay closer attention to what they're drinking and where it comes from.
Yahoo
15-03-2025
- Yahoo
Parents warn against '100% preventable' reckless driving after Tempe crash took son's life
The cell phone text dropped at 1:11 p.m. on March 29, 2023. Phyllis Mercer glanced at the words, "I love you more" — a parting phrase her son would send her in response to her ending the conversation by expressing her love for him. Less than 90 minutes later, 25-year-old Phillip Mercer would die as a passenger in a Tempe car crash that his mother called "100% preventable." Police said the driver was intoxicated and speeding at 121 mph in the incident where another driver was severely injured. "People can prevent driving under the influence. They can prevent reckless driving, driving at an excessive speed," Phyllis Mercer told The Arizona Republic. Phillip Mercer had a strong work ethic and thrived in a sales job that matched his competitive spirit, his parents shared. He wanted to pursue a career in law enforcement. His time was often spent with family and friends. The Southern California resident was visiting friends in Arizona, he found himself in the front passenger seat of a 2004 Corvette. The driver, Demonti Gary Deleon, was a man unfamiliar to Mercer's parents, they said. Tempe Police Det. Jonathan Seal told The Republic the harrowing moments on the road that early spring afternoon. Deleon sped eastbound down West Southern Avenue past Priest Drive, pushing his Corvette 76 miles over the speed limit. He lost control, and the convertible coupe slid sideways, its passenger door crashing into a westbound school van that had just completed its last student drop-off. The force of the impact sent the van backward, lifting it into the air before it came down on a Volkswagen Jetta traveling in the same direction. Phillip Mercer would die at the scene. The blood alcohol concentration for Deleon was twice the legal limit, according to Seal. "The speed in this case is the fastest speed that I've seen in any cases that I've personally worked," said the 40-year-old Seal — who has been on the force for 18 years. He said that even though Mercer was wearing a seat belt, Deleon's speed was "just so egregious" that a safety belt "can only help so much." In January, Deleon pleaded guilty to manslaughter and was sentenced to 18 years in prison. He also admitted to aggravated assault, receiving five years of supervised probation for injuries sustained by the school van driver, wounds that, according to Seal, will likely affect him for life. Additionally, Deleon pleaded guilty to endangering the driver of the Jetta, earning a one-year prison term to be served concurrently with his manslaughter sentence. Seal noted that the Jetta driver suffered a fatal heart attack just days after the crash. Between 2019 and 2023, the most recent year with available data, Tempe recorded 80 traffic fatalities and 294 crashes resulting in serious injuries. To address roadway safety, Tempe implemented Vision Zero in 2018, an ongoing initiative aimed at eliminating fatal and serious injury crashes. The program analyzes crash data and road design to identify high-risk areas, guiding increased police enforcement efforts, Seal explained. Phillip Mercer's parents, 57-year-old Phyllis Mercer and her husband, Dwight, 58, want others to heed lessons from the devastating loss they suffered. "Not a whole lot of things in life that can be prevented, but fatality due to being impaired or excessive speeding, or driving reckless … can all be prevented," Phyllis Mercer said. "By changing your driving habits, you could save lives, even your own." Through unshakable grief, Phillip's parents lean on how he showed his appreciation for them. "You raised me right" and "I wouldn't want any other parents. You guys are the best," Phillip told his father over the phone just two days before he lost his life. Dwight Mercer said, "That's something that I'll always remember." This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Corvette crash in Tempe took son's life. Now his parents share warning
Yahoo
15-03-2025
- Yahoo
Springfield felon indicted connected to drug and firearms offenses
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) – A Springfield man was indicted in federal court Friday afternoon in connection with cocaine possession and firearms offenses. Illegal burning sparks brush fire, damages Agawam home Pedro Deleon, 32, was charged with possession with intent to distribute cocaine, being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, and possession a firearm in furtherance of drug distribution. Charging documents stated that on October 22, 2024, Deleon was allegedly found to be in possession of illicit drugs and firearms, and was subsequently arrested as a result. Deleon had also been previously convicted, punishable by a crime exceeding one year. With Deleon's combined charges and his record as a felon, he could face a minimum of 15 years and up to life in prison, as well as a minimum of three years and up to a lifetime of supervised release. He also faces paying a fine of up to $1 million. Deleon will be sentenced at a later date. WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Watch the 22News Digital Edition weekdays at 4 p.m. on Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
25-02-2025
- Yahoo
Man accused of trying to meet school girl for sex
Lacy Lakeview, Tx (FOX 44) – An ongoing sting operation targeting men seeking to have sex with young girls has led to the arrest of a 49-year-old man. Juan Manuel Deleon was booked into the McLennan County Jail Monday as Lacy Lakeview police say he prepared to meet what he thought was a fifteen year old school girl at a hotel. An arrest affidavit stated that an undercover officer using the persona of a 15-year-old girl had been contacted via Facebook with casual conversation beginning and the man eventually providing a phone number for more direct text messaging. The affidavit stated that it was made clear to the man that the identity of his conversation partner was fifteen years old. The affidavit stated that more casual conversation followed until the conversation turned sexual in nature with the man accused of discussing getting a hotel room for sex. On Tuesday the affidavit stated the ' girl' was asked for nude photos and for her to skip school to meet. Police said Deleon was located in the vicinity of the meeting place and placed under arrest for online solicitation of a minor. Man held in Killeen car to car shooting The affidavit stated that during the interview with police, Deleon gave a statement about meeting a female saying she was willing to trade sex for concrete work, but claiming he did not know her age. The affidavit stated that he allowed the officer to go through his phone with the affidavit stating that messages regarding her age and agreeing to meet for sex were located. The affidavit stated that due to the conversation and meeting taking place during normal school hours, the charges were being enhance by a degree. McLennan County Jail records indicated Deleon was being held on $20,000 bond on the first degree felony online solicitation charge, but also noted there was an immigration hold also in place. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
