Miami Warmth guard Victor Oladipo—who turned in a silky rendition of “Straightforward” by the Commodores on season two of The Masked Singer—says a trusted confidante secretly looted his financial institution accounts, allegedly sinking the stolen funds into a luxurious Florida apartment and a New York Metropolis strip membership.
In a blistering courtroom submitting obtained by The Day by day Beast, Oladipo, a 31-year-old two-time NBA All-Star whose taking part in profession of late has been affected by accidents, accuses longtime enterprise supervisor James B. Henderson of taking him for at the least $1.3 million whereas he wasn’t trying.
The allegations, which haven’t beforehand been reported, are specified by the June 16 petition, which seeks to power Henderson, who goes by the moniker “Jay Stomach,” to take a seat for a deposition and clarify himself.
Reached by telephone on Friday, Henderson’s lawyer, Ariel Mitchell, mentioned her consumer didn’t want to touch upon the case. The bitter dispute started with a lawsuit filed by Oladipo in Orange County Circuit Court docket final 12 months, however has purposely been saved silent, in accordance with a supply near each Henderson and Oladipo.
“Mr. Oladipo didn’t need it publicized, Mr. Henderson didn’t need it publicized,” the supply instructed The Day by day Beast. “They’ve been doing it the way in which they need to, in courtroom.”
The newly filed petition says Oladipo employed Henderson in Might 2017, whereas Oladipo was with the Indiana Pacers. Over the subsequent a number of years, Henderson helped Oladipo embark on a sequence of high-profile ventures, facilitating a co-ownership place at a report label, an government producing credit score on a Hollywood movie, and advertising offers with large manufacturers like Motorola and Hulu. Oladipo and Henderson collectively grew to become part-owners of a professional basketball staff in New Zealand, the Breakers, and Oladipo, a proficient crooner with three albums to his identify, appeared to have a brilliant monetary future forward of him.
“Now we have a pleasant little system with investments,” Henderson mentioned in a 2020 interview with AfroTech.com. “[Victor] offers me the chance and he trusts in me to exit and discover sure [companies] that he is aware of may benefit his portfolio.”
However, in accordance with Oladipo, Henderson was concurrently stealing from him whereas all this was occurring.
In January 2020, “with out [Oladipo’s] information or authorization,” Henderson accessed a mortgage administration account Oladipo had at Merrill Lynch and wired almost $330,000 to a title insurance coverage firm to fund his buy of a 3-bed, 2-bath apartment in Orlando, the courtroom petition states.
The residence was initially titled within the identify of an LLC Henderson created, referred to as Stomach Properties, in accordance with Oladipo’s petition.
Later that 12 months, Henderson “cast [Oladipo’s] signature on checks from [his] money administration account at Merrill Lynch, within the quantity of $25,803 every, and made them payable to DDS Hospitality Building in reference to the renovation/enchancment of the Condominium Unit,” the petition goes on.
On Aug. 17, 2021, Stomach Properties transferred possession of the apartment to Henderson’s son, additionally named James, for a mere $100, it says.
But, that was simply the beginning, in accordance with Oladipo. He says Henderson cast further checks from his Merrill accounts that totaled nearly $900,000, utilizing the money to “pay his private bills.”
When Oladipo realized what was occurring, he fired Henderson and employed a brand new enterprise supervisor, a companion submitting states. Henderson’s substitute, who’s recognized within the submitting solely as “Mr. Neiman,” quickly “uncovered further misuses of Mr. Oladipo’s cash by [Henderson], together with funding in and/or three way partnership with… a enterprise working an grownup leisure membership in Woodside, New York.”
Positioned in an industrial part of Queens, exhausting by the BQE, the membership, Starlets, runs theme nights akin to “Lower the Verify Mondays,” “Mogul Tuesdays,” and “Takeover Thursdays.”
It was name-checked in a 2017 observe by the G4 Boyz, that includes Tory Lanez, referred to as “Patek Philippe.”
“Tory, I fucked a foul bitch out of Starlets,” the lyrics go. “I instructed her I’mma hit it, hit my goal.”
Oladipo’s petition says Henderson “breached his fiduciary duties by changing, dissipating and diverting over one million {dollars} of [Oladipo’s] cash for his private use and enrichment.” He’s asking Henderson to repay “at least” $1,268,748, plus curiosity, and Stomach Properties for at the least $355,070.16, plus curiosity.
“It’s towards fairness and good conscience to allow [Henderson] to retain such profit with out paying honest worth for such profit,” the petition states.
Henderson blew off a deposition scheduled for Might 31, in accordance with Oladipo, who’s demanding he seem for sworn testimony concerning the alleged thefts. Oladipo can be in search of documentation from Starlets regarding Henderson’s funding and any earnings he might have loved since.
Within the meantime, Oladipo is way from broke. Earlier this month, he listed his seven-bedroom, seven-bathroom manse on Miami’s Hibiscus Island, for $9.995 million. The guesthouse incorporates a $50,000 recording studio.
Oladipo, who’s initially from Maryland, instructed The Wall Avenue Journal he’s promoting as a result of he “would love for my daughter to have a tennis courtroom, or simply [more] land so she will run and mess around.”
Oladipo’s attorneys didn’t reply to a number of requests for remark.