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  • Pina Cesar Vs Robinson AnthonyDefamation document preview
  • Pina Cesar Vs Robinson AnthonyDefamation document preview
  • Pina Cesar Vs Robinson AnthonyDefamation document preview
  • Pina Cesar Vs Robinson AnthonyDefamation document preview
  • Pina Cesar Vs Robinson AnthonyDefamation document preview
  • Pina Cesar Vs Robinson AnthonyDefamation document preview
  • Pina Cesar Vs Robinson AnthonyDefamation document preview
  • Pina Cesar Vs Robinson AnthonyDefamation document preview
						
                                

Preview

BER-L-006134-23 02/06/2024 4:07:51 PM Pg 1 of 2 Trans ID: LCV2024339051 Alexander Schachtel, Esq. (ID # 128062015) Law Office of Alexander Schachtel, LLC 101 Hudson Street, Ste. 2109 Jersey City, New Jersey 07302 Attorney for Defendants (p) 201-925-0660 (e) xschachtel@gmail.com SUPERIOR COURT OF NEW JERSEY CESAR PINA and JENNIFER PINA, LAW DIVISION: BERGEN COUNTY DOCKET NO.: BER-L-6134-23 Plaintiffs, NOTICE OF MOTION TO DISMISS v. COMPLAINT PURSUANT TO R. 4:6- 2(b), FOR LACK OF PERSONAL ANTHONY ROBINSON, TONY THE JURISDICTION CLOSER LLC, I CLOSE DEALS LLC, RONA PROOF LLC, REAL ESTATE RICO LLC, NICHOLE LYNELL LLC, Defendants. PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that on Friday, March 1, 2023, or as soon thereafter as counsel can be heard, all Defendants named above will appear before the Superior Court of New Jersey, Bergen County, Law Division to request an order dismissing the Plaintiff’s Complaint and all counts set forth therein, pursuant to R. 4:6-2(b), for lack of personal jurisdiction. Please TAKE FURTHER NOTICE that in support of this motion Defendants will rely on the accompanying certifications, letter brief and the annexed exhibits. Please TAKE FURTHER NOTICE that Defendants request oral argument only if this motion is opposed. By: /s/ Alexander Schachtel Alexander Schachtel, Esq. Attorney for Defendants BER-L-006134-23 02/06/2024 4:07:51 PM Pg 2 of 2 Trans ID: LCV2024339051 Dated: February 6, 2024 BER-L-006134-23 02/06/2024 4:07:51 PM Pg 1 of 2 Trans ID: LCV2024339051 Alexander Schachtel, Esq. (ID # 128062015) Law Office of Alexander Schachtel, LLC 101 Hudson Street, Ste. 2109 Jersey City, New Jersey 07302 Attorney for Defendants (p) 201-925-0660 (e) xschachtel@gmail.com SUPERIOR COURT OF NEW JERSEY LAW DIVISION: BERGEN COUNTY CESAR PINA and JENNIFER PINA, DOCKET NO.: BER-L-6134-23 Plaintiffs, v. PROPOSED ORDER ANTHONY ROBINSON, TONY THE CLOSER LLC, I CLOSE DEALS LLC, RONA PROOF LLC, REAL ESTATE RICO LLC, NICHOLE LYNELL LLC, Defendants. THIS MATTER having been brought before the Court by Alexander Schachtel, Esq. attorney for Defendants, seeking relief by way of Order dismissing the Complaint, pursuant to R. 4:6-2(b), for lack of personal jurisdiction, and the court having considered the submissions of the movant, opposition of the Plaintiffs, and having heard argument on the matter; IT IS on this ___________ day of _______________________, 24, ORDERED that the Complaint is hereby dismissed, with prejudice, pursuant to R. 4:6- 2(b), as this Court lacks personal jurisdiction over all Defendants named in the Complaint; and it is further ORDERED that a copy of this order shall be served upon counsel for the opposing party within ___________ days. BER-L-006134-23 02/06/2024 4:07:51 PM Pg 2 of 2 Trans ID: LCV2024339051 _________________ OPPOSED _________________ UNOPPOSED By order of ______________________________________ J.S.C. BER-L-006134-23 02/06/2024 4:07:51 PM Pg 1 of 5 Trans ID: LCV2024339051 Alexander Schachtel, Esq. (ID # 128062015) Law Office of Alexander Schachtel, LLC 101 Hudson Street, Ste. 2109 Jersey City, New Jersey 07302 Attorney for Defendants (p) 201-925-0660 (e) xschachtel@gmail.com SUPERIOR COURT OF NEW JERSEY CESAR PINA and JENNIFER PINA, LAW DIVISION: BERGEN COUNTY DOCKET NO.: BER-L-6134-23 Plaintiffs, CERTIFICATION OF ANTHONY v. ROBINSON IN SUPPORT OF MOTION TO DISMISS ANTHONY ROBINSON, TONY THE CLOSER LLC, I CLOSE DEALS LLC, RONA PROOF LLC, REAL ESTATE RICO LLC, NICHOLE LYNELL LLC, Defendants. I, Anthony Robinson, being of due age and of sound mind, do hereby say and affirm as follows: 1. I am named as a Defendant in this lawsuit and therefore I am personally familiar with the facts which are set forth in this statement. 2. I am also the owner of all LLCs which are named as co-Defendants in this lawsuit. 3. I am currently a resident of Los Angeles, California, and a citizen of the State of California. I have never been a resident of New Jersey. 4. The business entities named as Defendants in this case are companies that I formed and registered in the State of North Carolina. 5. I have not intentionally published or broadcast any messages into the State of New BER-L-006134-23 02/06/2024 4:07:51 PM Pg 2 of 5 Trans ID: LCV2024339051 Jersey, ever. 6. None of my businesses has ever done anything to target Cesar or Jen Pina or the State of New Jersey. 7. None of my businesses have ever operated in the State of New Jersey. 8. All social media posts that are referenced in the Complaint were made by me personally, on my personal social media pages. 9. My social media posts did not involve any of the business entity Defendants. 10. I am former professional athlete. 11. After retiring from sports I developed a second career as a realtor. 12. As part of my real estate career, I have used social media frequently under my “screen name” “Tony the Closer.” 13. Part of my social media use involves the area of “citizen journalism” as I have helped to expose scams in the real estate industry. 14. I had previously, in 2022 and early 2023, helped to identify Gregory Parker (a/k/a) “Biz Bizzness” as the operator of a real estate scam. 15. Big Bizzness was a high-profile social media influencer who was operating a multimillion dollar real estate scam in the Philadelphia area. 16. In the Spring of 2023, after outing Big Bizzness, I earned a reputation on social media for busting scammers, and I started to receive messages from victims of an investment scam involving Cesar Pina. 17. By June of 2023, I had heard from over ten separate victims of this scam. 18. The victims that reached out to me were located in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Florida, and other parts of the country. BER-L-006134-23 02/06/2024 4:07:51 PM Pg 3 of 5 Trans ID: LCV2024339051 19. Most of the victims had a similar story, they said they had signed joint venture investment contracts for house flipping deals, made large deposits of a hundred thousand dollars or more to Cesar Pina, Jennifer Pina, or their associates, and were promised payouts within six months when subject properties were supposed to be sold. 20. Unfortunately, the victims had been ripped off and almost none of them had gotten any money back. The promised payouts never came through. 21. Most victims that I spoke to had learned of the Pinas by attending real estate seminars hosted by DJ Envy, or through DJ Envy’s radio show or social media posts. 22. DJ Envy is a well-known DJ who hosts “The Breakfast Club,” a morning talk radio show broadcast nationally through iHeartRadio. 23. DJ Envy is Cesar Pina’s business partner, and he had a large role in the Pinas’ scam. 24. From May 2023 through August of 2023, I received hundreds of emails, direct messages, phone calls, and other outreach from more victims of this scam. 25. As of the date of this statement, I have personally spoken to close to one hundred victims of the Pinas’ scam, and I would estimate that the total amount of money that the Pinas stole from these people is in the range of $40 Million to $70 Million. 26. I have personally hosted interviews with some of the victims by doing live broadcasts on my Instagram or Twitter feeds. 27. I have also done interviews with former associates of the Pinas, who chose to speak out and help bring attention to the Pinas criminal behavior. 28. My motivation for giving a platform to victims was not to make money or build fame for myself, but to try to help the people who lost money seek justice for what the Pinas had done to them, mostly by getting their money back. BER-L-006134-23 02/06/2024 4:07:51 PM Pg 4 of 5 Trans ID: LCV2024339051 29. I have also been interviewed by law enforcement officers and private attorneys in relation to ongoing criminal and civil legal proceedings against the Pinas. 30. In October 2023 the US Attorney for the District of New Jersey filed a criminal complaint against Cesar Pina, the Plaintiff in this lawsuit, for wire fraud. 31. The US Attorney’s Office called the Pinas’ scam a “Ponzi-like scheme” and described the same scheme that had been described to me by the victims I interviewed on social media. 32. To my knowledge, the Pinas are currently facing at least twenty (20) separate civil lawsuits from their scam victims. 33. Personally, I have made no money by exposing this scam. 34. I have not charged any money for interviews, media appearances, or received payments from any third parties for my work on social media exposing the Pinas. 35. In fact, I am losing money because I am now being forced to pay legal fees to defend this frivolous lawsuit. 36. I had been trying to raise funds to help pay for my legal fees by selling t-shirts, which I have advertised online in some of my social media posts. 37. I have called the Pinas and their associates “Real Estate RICO” operators, because truthfully, that is what they were doing. 38. The Pinas have stolen tens of millions of dollars from victims in New Jersey who are mostly black and Hispanic young men. 39. I have tried to stand up for members of my community by giving voices to the victims of the scam. 40. This lawsuit that has been filed against me is outrageous and absurd, it is like BER-L-006134-23 02/06/2024 4:07:51 PM Pg 5 of 5 Trans ID: LCV2024339051 Bernie Madoff suing the people who exposed his Ponzi scheme for defamation. 41. Cesar Pina is an abject criminal, con man, and scammer of epic proportions and he should be in jail. 42. All of my posts about the Pinas contained information that was shared with me by direct victims of their scam, or by attorneys, journalists, investigators, or other social media researchers in which case the information was backed up by public record documents. 43. Some of my social media posts about the Pinas were intended for humor and were not meant to be taken seriously, it was obvious which posts were humorous based on the content. 44. Upon the advice of my attorney, the court does not need to look at the merits of the claims against me in the complaint because this case should be dismissed for lack of jurisdiction. 45. I have never done or said anything to target the Plaintiffs in the State of New Jersey. 46. No social media post was made about the Pinas by any of the businesses that are named as Defendants in this lawsuit. 47. Upon the advice of my attorney, I respectfully request that the Court dismiss the lawsuit against me for these reasons. 48. I certify that I placed my electronic signature below on this statement in place of my original signature. 49. I hereby certify that the foregoing statements made by me are true, I am aware that if any of these statements are willfully false, I am subject to punishment. /s/ Anthony Robinson Anthony Robinson Dated: 2/5/2024 BER-L-006134-23 02/06/2024 4:07:51 PM Pg 1 of 1 Trans ID: LCV2024339051 CERTIFICATION OF SERVICE I, Alexander Schachtel, Esq., hereby certify that the original of the within notice of motion and supporting papers have been filed with the Court via e-file, and that a true and accurate copy of same has been served to opposing counsel via regular U.S. mail and via-email to the following addresses: Corinne Mullen Esq. Mullen Law Firm 221 River Street, 9th Floor Hoboken, New Jersey 07030 Law Office of Alexander Schachtel Attorney for Defendant /s/ Alexander Schachtel Dated: February 6, 2024 BER-L-006134-23 02/06/2024 4:07:51 PM Pg 1 of 2 Trans ID: LCV2024339051 Alexander Schachtel, Esq. (ID # 128062015) Law Office of Alexander Schachtel, LLC 101 Hudson Street, Ste. 2109 Jersey City, New Jersey 07302 Attorney for Defendants (p) 201-925-0660 (e) xschachtel@gmail.com SUPERIOR COURT OF NEW JERSEY CESAR PINA and JENNIFER PINA, LAW DIVISION: BERGEN COUNTY DOCKET NO.: BER-L-6134-23 Plaintiffs, CERTIFICATION OF COUNSEL IN v. SUPPORT OF MOTION TO DISMISS ANTHONY ROBINSON, TONY THE CLOSER LLC, I CLOSE DEALS LLC, RONA PROOF LLC, REAL ESTATE RICO LLC, NICHOLE LYNELL LLC, Defendants. I, Alexander Schachtel Esq., being of due age and of sound mind, do hereby say and affirm as follows: 1. I am counsel to the Defendants in this action and therefore I am personally familiar with the contents of this statement and related subject matter. 2. Attached hereto as Exhibit A is a copy of the Plaintiffs’ filed complaint. 3. Attached hereto as Exhibit B are copies of various local and national media reports which relate to the Plaintiffs’ operation of a multimillion dollar “Ponzi scheme.” 4. Attached hereto as Exhibit C is a copy of a criminal complaint against Cesar Pina filed by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey. 5. Attached hereto as Exhibit D is a copy of a press release from the United States BER-L-006134-23 02/06/2024 4:07:51 PM Pg 2 of 2 Trans ID: LCV2024339051 Attorneys’ Office, dated October 18, 2023, corresponding to the filing of the criminal complaint against Planitiff Cesar Pina. 6. I hereby certify that the foregoing statements made by me are true, I am aware that if any of these statements are willfully false, I am subject to punishment. /s/ Alexander Schachtel Alexander Schachtel Esq. Dated: 2/6/2024 BER-L-006134-23 02/06/2024 4:07:51 PM Pg 1 of 28 Trans ID: LCV2024339051 EXHIBIT A BER-L-006134-23 BER-L-006134-23 11/13/2023 02/06/20243:59:20 4:07:51PM PM Pg Pg12of of24 28 Trans TransID: ID:LCV20233353851 LCV2024339051 MULLEN LAW FIRM Corinne M. M Mullen, Esq. (Attorney ID# 035551983) Hoboken Riverfront Center 221 River Street, 9th Floor Hoboken, NJ 07030 Phone: (201) 420-1911 Fax: (201) 742-7022 Email: corinne@mullenlawfirm.com Attorney for Plaintiffs, Cesar Pina and Jennifer Pina CESAR PINA and JENNIFER PINA SUPERIOR COURT OF NEW JERSEY Plaintiffs, LAW DIVISION: BERGEN vs. COUNTY ANTHONY ROBINSON, TONY THE CLOSER DOCKET NO.: LLC, I CLOSE DEALS LLC, RONA PROOF LLC, REAL ESTATE RICO, LLC, NICHOLE LYNELL, CIVIL ACTION LLC. Defendants. VERIFIED COMPLAINT Plaintiffs, Cesar Pina (“Mr. Pina”) and Jennifer Pina (“Mrs. Pina”) (collectively “the Pinas” or “Plaintiffs”), by and through their undersigned counsel, Mullen Law Firm, alleges the following against Anthony Robinson a/k/a Tony the Closer (“Defendant”), Tony the Closer LLC, I Close Deals LLC, Rona Proof LLC, Real Estate Rico, LLC, and Nichole Lynell, LLC. (“Defendants”). PRELIMINARY STATEMENT 1. In this action, Defendants, knowingly and intentionally, individually and collectively, have uttered false, slanderous and defamatory statements about the Plaintiffs, which have and continue to severely damage Plaintiffs. Defendants have engaged in this wrongful conduct for the purpose of defaming plaintiffs, interfering with Plaintiffs’ prospective economic advantage and interfering with the contracts entered by Plaintiffs. BER-L-006134-23 BER-L-006134-23 11/13/2023 02/06/20243:59:20 4:07:51PM PM Pg Pg23of of24 28 Trans TransID: ID:LCV20233353851 LCV2024339051 2. As a result of the tortious conduct engaged in by defendants, collectively and individually, Plaintiffs have suffered loss of reputation, compensatory and punitive damages in an amount to be determined at trial. 3. Furthermore, as a result of the conduct engaged in by Defendants, the Defendants individually and collectively have been generating sales of their own products, increasing traffic on various social media sites operated by Defendant Anthony Robinson and his associates, and for the personal gain of Anthony Robinson and his associates and Limited Liability Companies under his control, and limited liability companies under the control of his partner, Nichole Lynel, operating as Nichole Lynel, LLC. Defendants have also benefited from their false and defamatory statements against Plaintiffs in the form of paid advertisements. 4. As such, Plaintiffs bring this suit, inter alia, to enjoin Defendants from making any further false defamatory or slanderous statements about Plaintiffs, and for damages against Defendants to recover the losses that Plaintiff has sustained, resulting from Defendant’s wrongful actions. NATURE OF THE ACTION 5. This case arises from the Defendant’s false, defamatory, slanderous, and malicious assertions that Plaintiffs are “thieves” and “scammers” and that they “stole millions”. 6. Defendant has publicly and maliciously spread these false claims on his websites (https://tonythecloser.com/ and https://www.iclosedealstoo.com/), and through his sizable social media presence, including accounts on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/tonythecloser), Twitter (@tonythecloser_), and YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/@TonyTheCloser). BER-L-006134-23 BER-L-006134-23 11/13/2023 02/06/20243:59:20 4:07:51PM PM Pg Pg34of of24 28 Trans TransID: ID:LCV20233353851 LCV2024339051 7. As part of a tortious strategy to drive views and engagement with his own brand, Defendant Robinson frequently makes posts insulting, attacking, or arguing with other public figures. 8. Defendant Robinson uses his social media presence to promote his own uses his websites and social media platforms to sell self-promotional real estate “coaching” materials under various names and through several different companies, including his “Rona Proof Master Class” course materials; weight-loss drinks, clothing and other items on his social media platform as well as his associate’s platform, Defendant Nichole Lynett, LLC. 9. Defendant also promotes his real estate investing business and his real estate coaching business through his social media accounts, 10. Beginning on or about May 25, 2023, Defendant began posting about what he deemed a “scam” run by the Pinas and Raashauna Casey (“Mr. Casey”), initially asserting in an Instagram “live” post (a live video broadcast to all of Defendant’s Instagram followers) that the Pinas had been accused of scamming investors, and that the Pinas were only famous because they had been “promoted” on Mr. Casey’s radio show. 11. During his first May 25, 2023, “live” post regarding Mr. Casey, Defendant was careful to state that these were “allegations,” and “claims,” by investors who claimed to be defrauded by the Pinas, and not factual statements. 12. Throughout June 2023, Defendant continued to refine his new business model and increased social media success as an enemy of “scammers,” posting attacks against alleged “scammers,” and then quickly advertising his real estate courses. BER-L-006134-23 BER-L-006134-23 11/13/2023 02/06/20243:59:20 4:07:51PM PM Pg Pg45of of24 28 Trans TransID: ID:LCV20233353851 LCV2024339051 13. On July 19, 2023, and then again on September 21, 2023 Defendant posted on Instagram “Tony The Closer Top Ten List of Scammers 2023 drops [] today #RealEstateRico #NoRefundsNoPeace HowtoCatchaScammer.” appearing below: 14. 15. This image falsely accuses Plaintiffs of being scammers and is defamatory as it claims that Plaintiffs’ are not legitimate and that they steal money from investors. 16. On June 29, 2023, Defendant posted an updated list of “Tony The Closer Top 10 Scammer List,” on Twitter and Instagram, generating thousands of likes, more than 1,300 comments, and hundreds of thousands of “views” across both platforms. 17. These false statements regarding Plaintiffs continue to generate substantial publicity for Defendant and his companies through the sale of his real estate “guru” investment courses and other services to “first time” buyers who want to earn “$20k” per month. 18. On August 11, 2023, Defendant stated, “I'm gonna say so Goddamnit heavy you say right beside flipping in Cesar running the whole full blown Ponzi scheme you got lygus come into my career talking about you're running a criminal organization there's drugs involved in everything and I need to shut up [] Did you just go get the you got the blog's involved after you had come to my career with drugs and all kinds of shit, you know how they shouldn't make you to tell me to shut up you can't BER-L-006134-23 BER-L-006134-23 11/13/2023 02/06/20243:59:20 4:07:51PM PM Pg Pg56of of24 28 Trans TransID: ID:LCV20233353851 LCV2024339051 be a smart liquid because now he just gave all the eyeballs on me Hey over so I'm happy to be here because this is one of the full drug organization.” 19. On August 11, 2023, Defendant stated, “Because he's used his platform to talk about pushing education to the people and people who are out here right now suffering because his business partner, stole millions of dollars, and we're not talking about one or $2 million, there's only 50 victims are ready to have come forward and over $25 million.” 20. During a live video conference hosted on August 15, 2023, Defendant stated the following: a. “from the words that I’ve already had speaking to attorneys, as well over 25 million already that happen that he has spoken to and in victims, and this could be potentially a 50 to $100 million Ponzi scheme once it’s all said and done.” b. “ And here's the thing I want to talk about I Heart Radio is very, very much liable for it. I'm using it for allowing DJ envy to use and promote a known felon who was a drug trafficker, a scammer from the 90s He allowed that same dude to come out there and do the same exact crime to millions of people. He promoted a flat out fraud a scammer and a drug dealer on the platform. And guess what they did? They scammed as they drove they sold drugs. They're involved with drug dealers. They were involved in a very nasty I'm telling you, I don't give a fuck these motherfuckers were involved in drugs. They were involved in money laundering. If you look at some of the actual some of the actual videos even looking at Lutchy's page, they're saying they're collecting rent. You're gonna look at the money and the way that the money is wrapped and rubber bands this shit doesn't BER-L-006134-23 BER-L-006134-23 11/13/2023 02/06/20243:59:20 4:07:51PM PM Pg Pg67of of24 28 Trans TransID: ID:LCV20233353851 LCV2024339051 nobody turns into rent money this way. Nobody nobody turns in rent money and fucking 20s strapped around in the fucking and rubber bands and stacks like that only people that put their money like that is dope boys and to sit back and watch and see.” c. “If you see these messages where he was literally coercing people, to give them 200…300…400,000 in order to run his fucking Ponzi scheme, yet, none of that money was used in real estate transactions.” 21. On September 11, 2023, Defendant falsely asserts that Plaintiffs were involved in a slip and fall lawsuit, appearing below, and claims that Plaintiffs were awarded $425,000, further alleging that Plaintiffs the lawsuit was an, “insurance finesse”: 22. BER-L-006134-23 BER-L-006134-23 11/13/2023 02/06/20243:59:20 4:07:51PM PM Pg Pg78of of24 28 Trans TransID: ID:LCV20233353851 LCV2024339051 23. This post falsely asserts that Plaintiffs’ are liars and pushes Defendant’s defamatory statement that Plaintiffs are scammers, criminals, and dishonest. 24. On September 24, 2023, Defendant continues to assert that Plaintiff Cesar Pina has “finessed” investors, appearing below: 25. 26. This image improperly advances the narrative that Plaintiff Cesar Pina is a greedy scammer who takes advantage of innocent individuals. 27. As recently as August 2, 2023, Defendant falsely asserted on Twitter that “Raashaun Casey & Cesar Pina Real Estate Ponzi Scheme Leaves Investor in Financial Ruins After 350k Investment.” BER-L-006134-23 BER-L-006134-23 11/13/2023 02/06/20243:59:20 4:07:51PM PM Pg Pg89of of24 28 Trans TransID: ID:LCV20233353851 LCV2024339051 28. On August 18, 2023, Defendant posted on Instagram, “DJ Envy can you explain if Cesar ever wrote you a $527,000 bad check or does he only do that to investors?” appearing below: 29. 30. On September 30, 2023, Defendant posted, “Bruh we got Cesar Bank records from Flip2Dao and boy has -$6 left! Some of the transactions were Popeyes Chicken, Door Dash, Gucci, and more #RealEstateRico” appearing below: 31. BER-L-006134-23 02/06/2024 11/13/2023 4:07:51 3:59:20 PM Pg 10 9 ofof24 28 Trans TransID: ID:LCV20233353851 LCV2024339051 32. This post is an invasion of privacy and improperly asserts that Plaintiff Cesar Pina is scamming investors and using their money for personal use. 33. Defendant hosted a live meeting on or around October 4, 2023 with the title, “Cesar Pina & DJ Envy Real Estate Fraud Scheme Victims” appearing below: 34. 35. On October 9, 2023, Defendant posted on Instagram, “Husband and wife power couple scams over 80 million and count! Lives ruined all over while they block and avoid investors.” appearing below: BER-L-006134-23 BER-L-006134-23 11/13/2023 02/06/20243:59:20 4:07:51PM PM Pg Pg10 11of of24 28 Trans TransID: ID:LCV20233353851 LCV2024339051 36. 37. On October 14, 2023, Defendant posted, “Cesar owes over $900,000 to a man who passed away. When the family went to claim his money what y’all thing Cesar said” and then reposted the statement on Instagram on the same day, stating, “No one should be ok with this violating good people for personal benefit is disgusting.” appearing below: BER-L-006134-23 BER-L-006134-23 11/13/2023 02/06/20243:59:20 4:07:51PM PM Pg Pg11 12of of24 28 Trans TransID: ID:LCV20233353851 LCV2024339051 38. 39. This post improperly depicts Plaintiff Cesar Pina as a cold hearted individual who steals money from his investors. 40. On an indeterminable date, Defendant posted on his Instagram story reel picture of cash and the caption, “DJ Ponzi & Flipping pancakes I just want y’all to know that these people want they damn money back…Money laundering DJ Envy” appearing below: BER-L-006134-23 BER-L-006134-23 11/13/2023 02/06/20243:59:20 4:07:51PM PM Pg Pg12 13of of24 28 Trans TransID: ID:LCV20233353851 LCV2024339051 41. BER-L-006134-23 BER-L-006134-23 11/13/2023 02/06/20243:59:20 4:07:51PM PM Pg Pg13 14of of24 28 Trans TransID: ID:LCV20233353851 LCV2024339051 42. This image improperly asserts that Plaintiffs have been laundering money with the help of DJ Envy. 43. Defendant accuses Plaintiff Cesar Pina of using his daughter, Taylor Pina, to hide assets from investors and calls Cesar, “Americas(sic) dumbest criminal[]” appearing below: 44. 45. This post improperly asserts that Plaintiffs are using their daughter to hide assets from investors, calling them criminals. 46. Defendant posted a comment stating that “hundreds of people who trusted Cesar with millions of dollars…I began to uncover a web of lies deceit and fraud…people who BER-L-006134-23 BER-L-006134-23 11/13/2023 02/06/20243:59:20 4:07:51PM PM Pg Pg14 15of of24 28 Trans TransID: ID:LCV20233353851 LCV2024339051 wanted to build generational wealth through real estate and got scammed just like I did years ago by Jay Morrison…This scandal has well over 40 million dollars and lives have been ruined by this scam.” appearing below: 47. 48. This post improperly pushes the narrative that Plaintiff Cesar Pina is a scammer who takes advantage of the Black and Hispanic community. 49. Defendant asserts that Cesar has also scammed Snoop Dog, appearing below: BER-L-006134-23 BER-L-006134-23 11/13/2023 02/06/20243:59:20 4:07:51PM PM Pg Pg15 16of of24 28 Trans TransID: ID:LCV20233353851 LCV2024339051 50. 51. Defendant continues to advance the false narrative that Plaintiff Cesar Pina is a scammer by asserting that Plaintiff Cesar Pina has also scammed Snoop Dog. 52. It is clear that Defendant will continue to make knowingly false, malicious, and defamatory statements about Plaintiffs across his social media channels, because those statements generate publicity, increase his social media following, and further his financial interests by allowing him to increase engagement with new customers and make money selling real estate “courses” to new viewers. BER-L-006134-23 BER-L-006134-23 11/13/2023 02/06/20243:59:20 4:07:51PM PM Pg Pg16 17of of24 28 Trans TransID: ID:LCV20233353851 LCV2024339051 53. In May 2023, Plaintiff Mr. Pina, was rejected on a business loan for 500k because of what they saw on social media. 54. In June 2023, Plaintiff Mr. Pina’s 2.5 million dollar refinance was rejected because the lenders saw Tony the Closer’s social media posts. 55. In June 2023, Plaintiff Mr. Pina’s million dollar refinance chicago was denied because they saw social media. 56. In July 2023, Plaintiff Mr. Pina’s six properties that were going to be sold were canceled because of what they saw on social media. 57. In August 2023, Plaintiff Mr. Pina’s ride along event in St. Louis had to be canceled because of death threats; an estimated 2,000 tickets are sold per event. 58. Plaintiff Mr. Pina’s Real estate platform, “flip2Dao” has been destroyed, first years earnings was 900k, projected 5 million dollars over next 5 years. 59. Plaintiff Mr. Pina’s TV Show with AE has been placed on hold, endorsement deals alone are an estimated 500k. 60. Hubzu, the second biggest auction house in the US, canceled their partnership with Plaintiff Mr. Pina and DJ envy, estimated income 1 million dollars. 61. All of Plaintiff Mr. Pina’s real estate partnerships with lenders, realtors, private lenders, insurance companies have been canceled, estimated income 300k. 62. Plaintiff Mr. Pina’s One on One income, estimated worth of 360k a year, has been canceled due to death threats, fear of safety, and overall bookings have decreased. 63. Plaintiff Mr. Pina is unable to lend because of the posts and information after Googled. 64. Plaintiff Mrs. Pina faces possible suspension or loss of her Real Estate license. 65. Plaintiff Mrs. Pina is unable to list or show homes due to death threats via text messages. BER-L-006134-23 BER-L-006134-23 11/13/2023 02/06/20243:59:20 4:07:51PM PM Pg Pg17 18of of24 28 Trans TransID: ID:LCV20233353851 LCV2024339051 66. Plaintiff Mrs. Pina is unable to engage in speaking engagements. 67. Plaintiff Mr.s Pina is unable to conduct agent referrals and co listings. 68. Plaintiff Mrs. Pina’s Braids shop business has been negatively affected by Defendant’s actions. JURISDICTION 69. Plaintiffs are residents of Franklin Lakes, Bergen County, New Jersey. 70. Defendants do business individually and collectively in the State of New Jersey. 71. Each and every defamatory statement sued on was of and concerning plaintiffs, New Jersey residents. Accordingly, the torts and other causes of action alleged herein had their effect in the State of New Jersey. VENUE 72. Venue is properly laid in this Court pursuant to Plaintiffs’ residence in Bergen County, New Jersey. PARTIES 73. Plaintiff Cesar Pina is a New Jersey resident residing in the Borough of Franklin Lakes, County of Bergen, and State of New Jersey. 74. Plaintiff Jennifer Pina is a New Jersey resident residing in the Borough of Franklin Lakes, County of Bergen, and State of New Jersey. 75. Defendant, Anthony Robinson, is, upon information and belief, a California resident with an address of 1330 South Sante Fe Avenue, Unit 201, 90021. By virtue of his committing tortious acts in the State of New Jersey, he is subject to the jurisdiction of the State of New Jersey. BER-L-006134-23 BER-L-006134-23 11/13/2023 02/06/20243:59:20 4:07:51PM PM Pg Pg18 19of of24 28 Trans TransID: ID:LCV20233353851 LCV2024339051 76. Defendants, Tony the Closer LLC, is, upon information and belief, a North Carolina business with a principal place of business located at 13200 Strickland Road, Raleigh, North Carolina. By virtue of doing business in the State of New Jersey and committing tortious acts in the State of New Jersey, Tony the Closer LLC is subject to the jurisdiction of the State of New Jersey. 77. Defendant I Close Deals LLC is, upon information and belief, a North Carolina business with a principal place of business located at 13200 Strickland Road, Raleigh, North Carolina. By virtue of doing business in the State of New Jersey and committing tortious acts in the State of New Jersey, Defendant I Close Deals, LLC, is subject to the jurisdiction of the State of New Jersey. 78. Defendant Rona Proof LLC is, upon information and belief, a North Carolina business with a principal place of business located at 13200 Strickland Road, Raleigh, North Carolina. By virtue of doing business in the State of New Jersey and committing tortious acts in the State of New Jersey, Defendant Rona Proof LLC is subject to the jurisdiction of the State of New Jersey. 79. Defendant Real Estate Rico, LLC is, upon information and belief, a North Carolina business with a principal place of business located at 13200 Strickland Road, Raleigh, North Carolina. By virtue of doing business in the State of New Jersey and committing tortious acts in the State of New Jersey, Defendant Real Estate Rico LLC is subject to the jurisdiction of the State of New Jersey. 80. Defendant Nichole Lynel, LLC is, upon information and belief, a North Carolina business with a principal place of business located at 13200 Strickland Road, Raleigh, North Carolina. By virtue of doing business in the State of New Jersey and committing tortious BER-L-006134-23 BER-L-006134-23 11/13/2023 02/06/20243:59:20 4:07:51PM PM Pg Pg19 20of of24 28 Trans TransID: ID:LCV20233353851 LCV2024339051 acts in the State of New Jersey, Defendant Rona Proof LLC is subject to the jurisdiction of the State of New Jersey. COUNT I Defamation and Slander Plaintiffs incorporate by reference all forgoing paragraphs of this Complaint, as if fully set forth therein. 81. Defendant Tony Robinson falsely asserts that Plaintiffs scammed investors through an investment scheme. 82. Defendant Tony Robinson falsely asserts that Plaintiff Cesar owes, “over $900,000 to a man who passed away.” 83. Defendant Tony Robinson falsely asserts that Plaintiff Cesar writes bad checks to investors. 84. There is no basis in fact for Defendant’s endless stream of malicious false statements outlined above. 85. There was never any basis in fact for any of these accusations or inferences. 86. The statements made by Defendant Robinson concerning Plaintiffs were malicious, reckless, and/or negligently made, and had the purpose and effect of damaging and injuring each individual Plaintiff’s good name and reputation in the eyes of the public, and Plaintiffs’ business interests and partners. 87. The statements made by Defendant Robinson were broadcast to thousands of third parties by Defendant using his social media platforms, including without limitation Defendant’s accounts and/or handles on YouTube, Instagram, and Twitter. BER-L-006134-23 BER-L-006134-23 11/13/2023 02/06/20243:59:20 4:07:51PM PM Pg Pg20 21of of24 28 Trans TransID: ID:LCV20233353851 LCV2024339051 88. The statements made by Defendant Robinson concerning Plaintiffs were defamatory and slanderous per se. 89. Prior to these communications by Defendant Robinson, Plaintiffs had maintained and enjoyed a distinguished and unblemished reputation for honesty and integrity with the public and with their business interests and partners. 90. Plaintiffs’ reputation has been irreparably harmed by the defamatory statements made by Defendant and by the wrongful and illegal actions falsely attributed to Plaintiffs by Defendant Robinson. 91. Plaintiffs have suffered damages and are entitled to recover compensatory damages in the amount of $10,000,000.00 and punitive damages in an amount to be determined by the Court from Defendant Robinson as a result of the malicious and reckless false statements and accusations Defendant made against them. 92. Based on the forgoing, Plaintiffs are substantially likely to prevail on the merits in this action. 93. Plaintiffs will be substantially and irreparably harmed without injunctive relief to address the defamation by Defendant. 94. The equities strongly favor Plaintiffs, and any harm to Defendant will be greater if the restraints were denied than Defendant would suffer if the restraints were granted. COUNT II Claim for Tortious Interference with Prospective Business Relationships 95. Plaintiffs incorporate by reference all forgoing paragraphs of this Complaint, as if fully set forth therein. BER-L-006134-23 BER-L-006134-23 11/13/2023 02/06/20243:59:20 4:07:51PM PM Pg Pg21 22of of24 28 Trans TransID: ID:LCV20233353851 LCV2024339051 96. Plaintiffs Cesar Pina and Jennifer Pina had existing ventures with numerous businesses including real estate partnerships, a TV show, a ride along event, and other real estate related business transactions based upon Plaintiffs’ reputation for honesty and integrity with the public and with their business partners. 97. Defendants’ false and defamatory statements concerning Plaintiffs have damaged their reputation for honesty and integrity with the public and with his business partners. 98. This has harmed Plaintiffs’ economic and/or contractual relationships with their existing business partners by reducing the value of their endorsements as a direct and proximate result of Defendant’s malicious and/or reckless harm to Plaintiffs’ reputation and public image. 99. Plaintiffs are entitled to recover compensatory damages in the amount of $10,000,000.00 and punitive damages in an amount to be determined by the Court from Defendants as a result of Defendant’s interference with their business relationships. COUNT III Claim for Tortious Interference with Business Relationships 100. Plaintiffs incorporate b