Latest news with #FederalAgents
New York Times
5 days ago
- Business
- New York Times
Federal agents contacting NFL, MLB players as part of investigation related to licensing firm
Federal agents have contacted Major League Baseball and National Football League players as part of an investigation into financial dealings related to a group licensing firm, OneTeam Partners, that was created by both leagues' unions and other backers, people briefed on the investigation who were not authorized to speak publicly said. ESPN first reported the inquiry and that baseball players had been interviewed. Advertisement The players involved are not targets of the investigation, sources said. The FBI and the Department of Labor are both involved in the inquiries, which concern the financial structure and dealings of OneTeam. OneTeam secures media deals and leverages the name, image and licensing rights of players in the NFL and MLB and in several other sports, and makes payments to the respective unions. OneTeam paid the MLBPA $44.5 million in 2024, the MLBPA reported to the Department of Labor. MLBPA head Tony Clark is on the OneTeam Players Association Board of Directors, as is NFLPA leader Lloyd Howell. Clark and former NFLPA leader DeMaurice Smith co-founded OneTeam in 2019 in partnership with the private equity firm Redbird Capital, and it has since grown into a multibillion-dollar entity. Smith left the NFLPA in 2023; RedBird sold its stake in OneTeam in 2022. In a statement to ESPN, OneTeam said it is 'aware of an ongoing investigation of allegations concerning our partners. We want to emphasize that OneTeam is not the subject of the investigation and has not been accused of any wrongdoing in any way. OneTeam is fully committed to cooperating with the investigation.' NFL players received a communication from someone within the NFLPA on Friday with information about the investigation, though a person with knowledge of the NFLPA's actions who was granted anonymity to speak freely said that the communication did not actually come from NFLPA leadership. 'We are aware of the investigation and fully prepared to cooperate if the NFLPA is contacted,' an NFLPA spokesperson said. Said the MLBPA in a similar statement: 'If the MLBPA is contacted by the government, we intend to cooperate fully with any investigation.' ESPN reported that the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of New York is running the investigation. The Eastern District did not immediately return a request for comment. (Photo of Clark: AP Photo / Jose Luis Magana, File)
Washington Post
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Washington Post
Body slamming? Officer aggression? How an ICE clash led to charges against a congresswoman.
The crowd outside an ICE facility in New Jersey erupted with outrage as federal agents closed in to arrest the mayor of Newark on a trespassing charge. Protesters, mayoral aides and three members of Congress formed a protective circle around him. Then, agents began to pry the mayor from their grasp.
Forbes
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Diddy Photos: Drugs, Baby Oil And Guns From Mansion Raids
Prosecutors representing the government in Sean 'Diddy' Combs' sex trafficking and racketeering trial showed the jury photos to corroborate its case against the music mogul—including pictures of drugs, baby oil and guns found during the raids of Combs' homes, as well as photos of injuries his ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura documented. Prosecutors showed the jury photos taken during the raid of Combs' Miami home, which took place in March 2024 as his legal problems came to a head. Department of Homeland Security agent Gerard Gannon testified this week about the Miami raid, telling jurors some of the drugs depicted in the photographs tested positive for cocaine, ketamine, MDMA, Xanax and hallucinogenic mushrooms. Gannon testified the agents found dozens of bottles of baby oils and lubricant, condoms, lingerie and sex toys, as well as parts to AR-15 style rifles. Prosecutors also showed the jury photos of injuries Ventura testified Combs had given to her, including visible bruises on her back and legs and gashes on her face. Some of the pictures of Ventura depict her using sunglasses to cover up a black eye she said Combs gave her during an altercation at a Los Angeles hotel in 2016, an incident captured on surveillance footage which was published by CNN last year, after which Ventura said she had to attend a premiere for a movie she starred in. Federal agents found drugs in Combs' Miami home. U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York Ventura, considered the prosecution's key witness, testified for much of the trial's first week. She described various instances of physical abuse she says Combs subjected her to, and she testified Combs coerced her to perform in 'freak off' sex parties, which she described as drug-fueled sexual interactions with male escorts that could last for days, which she said left her in pain and feeling 'disgusting.' Ventura also testified Combs raped her in 2018. Danity Kane singer Dawn Richard and Ventura's ex-best friend, Kerry Morgan, both testified, stating they witnessed Combs physically abuse Ventura. Ventura's mother, Regina Ventura, testified Tuesday, telling the court she took some of the photos depicting Ventura's in jury. She also testified her daughter told her Combs had threatened to release sexually explicit videos of her and that he wanted Ventura to wire him $20,000 because he was angry her daughter had briefly dated rapper Kid Cudi during a break in their relationship. Other witnesses that have taken the stand include a male escort hired for a 'freak off' and a security guard who responded to Combs' attack on Ventura in a Los Angeles hotel in 2016. Kid Cudi is scheduled to testify Thursday, likely to face questions about prosecutors' allegations Combs and his associates blew up his car in a jealous rage after he learned Ventura was dating the rapper. Combs faces five federal charges: two counts of sex trafficking, two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution and one count of racketeering conspiracy. Combs has pleaded not guilty to all charges, and he has denied all allegations made in the dozens of civil lawsuits filed against him, many of which allege sexual abuse. Sean 'Diddy' Combs Trial: Cassie Testifies About Alleged 2018 Rape As Cross-Examination Wraps Up (Forbes)Report the details...
CNN
10-05-2025
- Politics
- CNN
Newark Mayor Arrested By Federal Agents At ICE Facility - Laura Coates Live - Podcast on CNN Audio
Newark Mayor Arrested By Federal Agents At ICE Facility Laura Coates Live 47 mins Newark Mayor Ras Baraka was arrested Friday at a federal immigration detention center where he has been protesting its opening this week and held in custody for several hours. Baraka was released shortly after 8 p.m. and, after stepping out of an SUV with flashing emergency lights, told waiting supporters: 'The reality is this: I didn't do anything wrong."
Washington Post
10-05-2025
- Politics
- Washington Post
Trove of documents unsealed in NYC mayor's criminal case offers a glimpse of thwarted investigation
NEW YORK — Federal agents investigating New York City Mayor Eric Adams were still seizing phones and applying for search warrants days before Justice Department leaders ordered prosecutors to drop the corruption case, according to documents released Friday. The trove of court records, which had been sealed, opens a window into the criminal case and shows that even as Washington officials were backing away from the prosecution, investigators in Manhattan were moving forward.
