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Former Morgan Stanley advisor Darryl Cohen was arrested on Thursday morning for allegedly defrauding current and former NBA players including Jrue Holiday, Chandler Parsons and Courtney Lee.
Cohen is charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of wire fraud, according to federal prosecutors. Each count carries up to a 20-year prison sentence. He is also facing investment advisor fraud charges, which carry a maximum five-year prison sentence. Three others, including former NBA players agent Charles Briscoe, were also charged.
Chandler Parsons: 'Kobe Bryant paid me a $22,000 club bill... this dude was cool as f---'
Chandler Parsons story on Kobe Bryant: So my rookie year we're playing in Staples Center. Kevin McHale pulls me aside and tells me ‘you're gonna see crazy people, you're gonna see celebrities there and Kobe is gonna try and bust your ass, like he's gonna be offended you're guarding him.’ First of all, I'm just looking at the court side. My head’s on a swivel, I've never seen this before, right? I'm like, goddamn, this is great. Denzel Washington is there, this chick is there... I'm already distracted. And of course I'm starting on Kobe. A little side note: Jordan Hill that year had got traded from Houston to LA. So the fourth quarter comes around and Kobe looks at me and he's like, ‘are you guys staying the night tonight?’ And I'm like, making sure McHale is not looking at me and I'm like ‘yeah, what up? We’re staying.’ He goes, ‘I'll set you up. I'll get your number from Hill if you want to go out tonight’. McHale is over there grilling me like ‘stop talking to this motherf-----’. So he ends up going off, he scores like 40 that game and we lose. After the game we’re going to have dinner at the Katsuya LA Live. We’re with all the OGs, right? We're with Marcus Camby and they're all taking me out. I get a text that goes ‘You're all set at Supper Club - Mamba’. And I'm like, looking around like ‘alright, who's f------ with me?’ Like, no way. Courtney Lee was my guy and I'm like, showing him like, is this real? So I write him back. I'm like, are you coming? And he’s like ‘no, I can't make it but my guy will hit you up’. Guy texts me ‘Hey, you’re set up, let me know what you need at Supper Club’, whatever.
Chandler Parsons: So at this point, I'm like, guys, I got you. Kobe’s my guy. He set it up. Let's go! JB Bickerstaff is there. I'm bringing coaches. I'm bringing trainers. This is ‘I got it’. And we have a blast, right? We have the craziest night ever. Supper Club was the club where the tables were beds. It was awesome. It was nuts. Then 2 AM rolls around. I'm with these guys that made hundreds of millions of dollars and this waitress beelines right to me with the check. And I'm like, ‘oh shit!’... She's bringing me this bill for God knows how much and I'm like, oh man. I open it and it's like $22,000 and now at this point I'm like, physically sick. I can't do this because the card’s gonna bounce! I'll never forget it, this chick looks at me, hands me a pen and says ‘sign for Mr. Bryant’. And I'm like, what?! A made a video of the whole thing, I’m so excited. I signed ‘Kobe Bryant’ on a $22,000 club bill… This dude was cool as f—.
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Darryl Matthew Cohen had been part of the Global Sports Entertainment Group at Morgan Stanley, the division that caters to athletes and entertainers, according to the law firm Erez Law, which is investigating Cohen. According to public records cited by the law firm, two former National Basketball Association players, Chandler Parsons and Courtney Lee, are suing Morgan Stanley over allegations that payments were made without the approval from their accounts between 2017 and 2019. The athletes — who are seeking $5 million in damages — alleged that they were encouraged, presumably by Cohen, to get a liquidity access line of credit for real estate and life insurance policies, Erez Law says.
The home drew a purchase price 17% higher than it originally cost, as Fournier and his wife Laura Kebe bought the home for $2.3 million in 2016. Of course, the median home price in Central Florida’s hot housing market shot up 55% from July 2016 to July 2021, according to the Orlando Regional Realtor Association. This is the second Central Florida home Fournier sold since January. In February, he sold a 6,384-square-foot Winter Park home to fellow NBA player Courtney Lee for $3.05 million.
Courtney Lee: I'm going into the first year of being retired
Courtney Lee has traded in his basketball shoes for a set of golf clubs and a softball bat. The Western Kentucky great and longtime NBA player is now enjoying life in retirement from professional basketball. "Man, I'm going into the first year of being retired. I'm picking up golf. It's a new hobby for me. It's keeping me busy," Lee told the Daily News on Saturday.
Lee was unable to pick up where he left off when the NBA resumed, however, after suffering a left leg injury during the league's hiatus. "I had a freak accident at home where a piece of glass cut the back of my leg and cut through some nerves, some tendons and slit all three of my calf muscles. That was the biggest factor right there," Lee said. "Now I'm back to 100%, but I'm enjoying where I'm at in life right now."
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Lee's interest in sports hasn't wavered in retirement. He's already picked up another game -- golf. Lee posted a photo March 24 on Instagram of himself in a Western Kentucky shirt playing at Interlachen Country Club in Winter Park, Fla., with a WKU golf bag equipped with a Big Red club cover in the foreground. "Golf, I picked that up four months ago. I'm addicted to it, so I'm sticking with it," Lee said. "The retirement life is just spending time with my daughter, traveling and having fun with the family right now."
Mavs waive Courtney Lee
JD Shaw: The Mavericks have waived veteran guard Courtney Lee, the team announced.
Courtney Lee returning to Dallas
Tim MacMahon: Sources: Mavs plan to sign Courtney Lee to replace J.J. Barea on camp roster. Like Barea, Lee was considered a leader and great vet in Dallas locker room despite not being in regular rotation last season. Mavs value that kind of presence even though Lee is roster long shot.
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