Fat Joe’s Business Partner Gets Prison For Defrauding Customers

A New Jersey man who partnered with rapper Fat Joe to launch a high-end Big Apple sneaker business was sentenced to nearly three years in prison for defrauding customers and stealing their credit card information, officials announced.

Scott Spina of Bloomfield previously pleaded guilty in Newark federal court on a charge of one count of wire fraud, officials said. US District Judge Esther Salas handed down Spina’s 35-month sentence Monday.

Spina, 21, aka “Scotty Kickz” and Bronx rapper Fat Joe, whose real name is Joseph Antonio Cartagena, opened Up NYC in Washington Heights in 2016, and built up a high profile clientele, including pro athletes and musicians such as DJ Khaled and rapper Jim Jones.

According to the US Attorney’s Office, Spina used credit card information provided by his customers to make personal purchases without their knowledge.

He even contacted his credit card company and falsely claimed that numerous purchases on his account were fraudulent, according to officials.

Spina admitted that he obtained or sought to obtain more than $550,000 in cash or goods, according to the US Attorney’s Office.

In addition to Spina’s prison term, Salas sentenced Spina to three years of supervised release and ordered him to pay restitution of $516,396.33.

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