Ozy Media CEO Carlos Watson Arrested, Set to Be Charged With Securities Fraud
variety.comTodd Spangler NY Digital Editor Carlos Watson, CEO of digital media company Ozy Media, was arrested Thursday pending his arraignment on charges of federal securities fraud and wire fraud, Variety has confirmed.
In a statement to the Wall Street Journal, which first reported the news, Watson’s attorney, Lanny Breuer, said, “We are really disappointed.
We have been acting in good faith and believe we had a constructive dialogue with the government and are shocked by the actions this morning.” In September 2021, the New York Times reported that Ozy Media falsified audience metrics and that its COO, Samir Rao, impersonated a YouTube executive on a call with prospective investor Goldman Sachs.
The revelations led to an avalanche of other disclosures including allegations of a toxic workplace culture at the New York-based company.
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