Carlos Watson’s Prison Sentence Commuted by President Trump
Carlos Watson and his supporters are claiming that President Donald Trump has commuted the nearly 10-year prison sentence that he received after being convicted of extensive fraud in operating his digital media startup Ozy Media.
Watson was sentenced to 116 months in prison in December following his conviction on charges of securities fraud, conspiracy to commit wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. It’s understood that Watson was en route to surrendering himself to federal prison authorities when he received the call alerting him that his petition for a commutation had been granted.
The case was handled by the office of Trump’s newly appointed “pardon czar,” Alice Marie Johnson. Watson’s cause was championed by activist and entrepreneur Glenn E. Martin, who praised Trump’s decision on social media.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Watson faced federal fraud charges after his Ozy Media digital media startup collapsed amidst shocking stories of brazen fraud within the company. The most notable incident involved Watson’s partner, Samir Rao, impersonating executives of major media companies to raise capital from investors.
Rao pleaded guilty to securities fraud and wire fraud charges, ultimately receiving probation. He also testified against Watson in court.
Founded in 2013, Ozy Media raised $30 million to produce digital content. However, the company struggled to succeed, leading Watson to allegedly deceive investors about the company’s financial standing and projections.
Watson was convicted on all counts and was ordered to pay $96 million in restitution and forfeiture in February.
Throughout the legal proceedings, Watson and his supporters maintained his innocence, arguing that he was unfairly targeted and emphasizing racial bias in the case.
