FraudNews
10-29-2012, 11:04 AM
Paul Ceglia, a New York businessman, is charged with attempting to defraud Facebook. Ceglia recently claimed the social media company owed him a 50 percent share.
In a lawsuit filed by U.S Attorney Preet Bharara, Ceglia is accused of making up and getting rid of evidence that asks for half of the firm.
He was arrested at his Wellsville, New York home and was in court Friday. Bharara said Ceglia was looking for a rapid payday based on outright forgery.
Prosecutors say, in 2003 when Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook’s founder, was a Harvard University student, he agreed to do Cegia’s programming work for his fax business.
Ceglia claimed in his lawsuit that Zuckerberg and he had a signed two-page contract that awarded him 50 percent stake in the social networking site.
The problem with this, however, is that Zuckerberg had yet to conceive the Facebook idea. According to Facebook lawyers, the contract Zuckerbeg and Ceglia signed was on the development of street-mapping software.
It’s alleged that Ceglia altered the document to include Facebook references.
In a lawsuit filed by U.S Attorney Preet Bharara, Ceglia is accused of making up and getting rid of evidence that asks for half of the firm.
He was arrested at his Wellsville, New York home and was in court Friday. Bharara said Ceglia was looking for a rapid payday based on outright forgery.
Prosecutors say, in 2003 when Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook’s founder, was a Harvard University student, he agreed to do Cegia’s programming work for his fax business.
Ceglia claimed in his lawsuit that Zuckerberg and he had a signed two-page contract that awarded him 50 percent stake in the social networking site.
The problem with this, however, is that Zuckerberg had yet to conceive the Facebook idea. According to Facebook lawyers, the contract Zuckerbeg and Ceglia signed was on the development of street-mapping software.
It’s alleged that Ceglia altered the document to include Facebook references.