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Lawsuits pile up against New Jersey real estate influencers
Investors claim Cesar and Jennifer Pina and Raashaun Casey, aka DJ Envy, defrauded them of hundreds of thousands of dollars
The lawsuits continue to pile up for New Jersey real estate influencers and their LLCs, which have been accused of offering fraudulent investment deals.
Bergen County couple Cesar and Jennifer Pina have had four new cases filed against them since the beginning of August, NorthJersey.com reported.
The Pinas, along with their companies From Start 2 Flipping, Flip 2 Dao, and various Whairhouse LLCs, now have at least 11 actions filed against them.
Some of these lawsuits also implicate Raashaun Casey, also known as DJ Envy, a frequent collaborator of the Pinas.
In one of the recent cases filed on Aug. 4, Enisa Berisha, an Englewood resident, alleges that the Pinas defrauded her of $750,000, the outlet reported.
Berisha claims she was introduced to Cesar Pina by a mutual friend who had previously invested with him. Pina allegedly promised Berisha a 30 percent return on her investment within five months if she provided $250,000 to purchase a property in Paterson. The lawsuit states that
Pina told Berisha of two additional properties, encouraging her to invest a total of $600,000.
Despite reassurances, Berisha says she only received $80,000 and has not received the rest of her investment.
Two other lawsuits, both filed on Aug. 7, involve accusations against the Pinas and Casey.
Investors Zachary Walker and Alvin Rivera, who learned about the Pinas through Casey’s radio show, claim they invested in properties based on promises of substantial returns. However, they allege that the Pinas have failed to provide the promised returns and have ignored their attempts to contact them.
The most recent lawsuit, filed on Aug. 9 by Derik Deangelo from Massachusetts, states that he invested $100,000 in a property after being assured of a $130,000 payout within four months. Deangelo asserts that he was repeatedly told the investment was “guaranteed money,” but after wiring his funds, he received no response from Cesar Pina and later saw allegations of fraudulent activities involving the Pinas on social media.
In July, Anthony Barone and Anthony Martini filed a lawsuit accusing the Pinas and Casey of taking off with their combined investment for projects including the 50-unit Taylor Apartments slated for Main Street in Paterson.
— Ted Glanzer