NYC Radio: Ponzie Scam Victim..WWPR's DJ Envy Is 'Wolf Playing Victim'

Popular radio personality DJ Envy of New York-based WWPR Power 105.1 FM remains under fire for his connection to accused real estate investment fraudster Cesar Pina.

NPR reports DJ Envy has not been arrested or charged with any crimes, but he is being sued by at least nine parties who said that without Envy's vouching, they never would have been scammed by Pina.

Victims of the alleged scheme said they were duped into believing real estate investments through Pina were legitimate based on The Breakfast Club co-host's endorsement.

DJ Envy, born RaaShaun Casey, had for years partnered with Pina – who goes by Flipping_NJ on social media – to host real estate investment seminars across the country and often promoted Pina as a real estate genius on the syndicated morning radio program.

Earlier this month, the New Jersey District Attorney's office arrested Pina, accusing him of committing a multi-million dollar real estate investment Ponzi scheme dating back to 2017.  "The defendant ran a fraudulent scheme"

"Pina exploited celebrity status and social media to develop a devoted following of potential victims," U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger said in the complaint.

Pina, the office said, would guarantee lenders huge payoffs for their investments in purchasing and remodeling projects. Then, once he had the money in hand, he would spend that money instead on paying off old debts and personal expenditures.

Since Pina's arrest, Envy has tried to distance himself from any claims of impropriety.

"Cesar – if he took money, I wasn't privy to it, nor did I even know," Envy said on a recent episode of The Breakfast Club.

"DJ Envy is a victim himself," said Envy's attorney, Massimo F. D'Angelo. He said that Envy invested $500,000 in a parcel of real estate with Pina, on which he never saw a return.

The assertion that Envy is a victim in the scheme – not a perpetrator – is offensive to those suing, said Derik Deangelo.

Claimant asks why DJ Envy didn't alert the public until the feds got involved. "That's just the wolf playing victim," Deangelo said.

Deangelo is one of the nine claimants the attorney, Schachtel, is representing in the suit that includes Envy. He said that last year he took out a $100,000 loan against his home to invest with Pina. It was sometime this summer that he realized he had been scammed.

"Now you're playing victim because you see all the lawsuits flying around. Where was all this information a couple of years ago," Deangelo said.  "Maybe if you played victim a year ago and said, 'Cesar owes me $500,000,' I would have never invested with Cesar."