Thursday, March 28, 2024

Leonardo DiCaprio: Second BFF in a Dozen Years Pleads Guilty to Fraud

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Leonardo DiCaprio: if you want to be his BFF, be a criminal, too. This week Helly Nahmad, the son of an international art dealer, pleaded guilty to a singleĀ  count of gambling in Federal court. He’ll pay $6.4 million in restitution and give up a painting worth of hundreds of thousands of dollars. Nahmad, who has been Di Caprio’s best pal for some time now, faces a sentence of 12- 18 months in federal prison.

District Attorney Preet Bharara’s office said in a statement: ā€œHillel Nahmad headed an illegal sports gambling business with ties to a Russian-American organized crime ring. Nahmad bet that he would never get caught and he lost.ā€

Helly told the court: ā€œJudge, this all started as a group of friends betting on sports events, but I recognize that I crossed the line, and I apologize to the court and my family.”

In the end, Nahmad got a sweet deal. If he’d gone to trial and had been convicted he could have gotten 92 years in the pokey.He had to admit to being the primary financier of a $100 million gambling ring. His sentencing isn’t until next March and he probably won’t go to jail. The $6.4 million fine is like pocket change. He and his family are worth billions. Crime pays!

For Leo it’s his second pal since 2001 who’s had to admit guilt of fraud in a federal court. Dana Giacchetto served a little more time in jail and was ordered to pay $14 million in restitution to his victims. It’s unclear if he’s ever paid anyone back for ripping off celebrities and local friends includign DiCaprio and Tobey Maguire in a Ponzi scheme.

Ironically each of Di Caprio’s movies this year– “The Great Gatsby” and “The Wolf of Wall Street”– are about questionable or criminal financiers. Maybe he’s just studying these people for his roles.

 

Roger Friedman
Roger Friedmanhttps://www.showbiz411.com
Roger Friedman began his Showbiz411 column in April 2009 after 10 years with Fox News, where he created the Fox411 column. His movie reviews are carried by Rotten Tomatoes, and he is a member of both the movie and TV branches of the Critics Choice Awards. His articles have appeared in dozens of publications over the years including New York Magazine, where he wrote the Intelligencer column in the mid 90s and covered the OJ Simpson trial, and Fox News (when it wasn't so crazy) where he covered Michael Jackson. He is also the writer and co-producer of "Only the Strong Survive," a selection of the Cannes, Sundance, and Telluride Film festivals, directed by DA Pennebaker and Chris Hegedus.
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