50 Cent Slams Ex-Consultant For Alleged Embezzlement In Sire Spirits Lawsuit

Michael Caruso seeks $3 million in damages for the G-Unit mogul's supposedly baseless and false accusations of pilfering.

BYGabriel Bras Nevares
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50 Cent's legal battle with a former consultant over alleged embezzlement in his Sire Spirits liquor company rages on. For those unaware, he sued Michael Caruso and Julious Grant last year for alleged fraud conspiracy, and according to a new Radar Online report, Caruso filed a counterclaim seeking $3 million in damages. Moreover, the Queens rapper wants the judge to dismiss this and he accused Caruso of embezzling him out of millions of dollars. In the brief issued to the Manhattan Supreme Court, the G-Unit mogul's lawyer Reena Jain argues that the consultant and his co-conspirators' crimes invalidate their retaliation.

"Ironically, the Caruso Plaintiffs have asserted claims against the Sire Defendants seeking damages of at least $3 million despite their central role in a fraudulent scheme," 50 Cent's attorney reportedly expressed in writing. "Crimes were committed in connection with millions of dollars in 'agency fees' embezzled from the Sire Entities. The Caruso Plaintiffs netted at least $1 million from the embezzlement scheme." Allegedly, Caruso and Mitchell Green, Sire's former director of brand management, conspired to inflate product prices and keep the leftover cash.

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Not only that, but another federal lawsuit ordered Green to pay $6.2 million in damages and legal fees for his liability, according to The New York Post. Following this, 50 Cent's Sire Spirits sued Caruso and Gina, his wife, Julious Grant, the owners of Jim Beam (who Grant worked for), and others for unspecified damages. Caruso's counterclaim is based on his belief that Fif owes him around $3 million for his work and his entitlement to a 10 percent cut of their profits. Apparently, they agreed to this verbally.

"Even more outrageously, four of the five claims are solely based on an alleged oral promise sometime in 2016 by each and every one of the Sire Defendants to give Michael Caruso a ten percent (10%) membership interest in Sire Champagnes in exchange for certain business services," court documents from 50's camp read. "However, no such promise was made by any of the Sire Defendants. "[Caruso worked] tirelessly to help build Sire Spirits brand, including its world-class champagne," a representative of the consultant told The New York Post. "This lawsuit is a blatant attempt to devalue his contribution to Mr. Jackson’s company, and he adamantly denies any wrongdoing." Meanwhile, for more news and updates on 50 Cent, check back in with HNHH.

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About The Author
Gabriel Bras Nevares is a music and pop culture news writer for HotNewHipHop. He started in 2022 as a weekend writer and, since joining the team full-time, has developed a strong knowledge in hip-hop news and releases. Whether it’s regular coverage or occasional interviews and album reviews, he continues to search for the most relevant news for his audience and find the best new releases in the genre. What excites him the most is finding pop culture stories of interest, as well as a deeper passion for the art form of hip-hop and its contemporary output. Specifically, Gabriel enjoys the fringes of rap music: the experimental, boundary-pushing, and raw alternatives to the mainstream sound. As a proud native of San Juan, Puerto Rico, he also stays up-to-date with the archipelago’s local scene and its biggest musical exponents in reggaetón, salsa, indie, and beyond. Before working at HotNewHipHop, Gabriel produced multiple short documentaries, artist interviews, venue spotlights, and audio podcasts on a variety of genres and musical figures. Hardcore punk and Go-go music defined much of his coverage during his time at the George Washington University in D.C. His favorite hip-hop artists working today are Tyler, The Creator, Boldy James, JPEGMAFIA, and Earl Sweatshirt.