Stamford Advocate

Warrant: Man allegedly bilked ex-girlfriend of $100K

STAMFORD — A Stamford man allegedly asked a former girlfriend to invest $100,000 in a cannabis company, then used the money on a personal spending spree that included purchases at a Boston luxury resort and casino, Audi Financial and an adult retail store in Florida, according to an arrest warrant. Darrick Williams, 37, was charged with first-degree larceny in connection with an alleged scam that police say dates back to May 2022. Stamford police Detective Michael Stempien wrote in an arrest warrant that Williams allegedly approached an ex-girlfriend who lives in New Hampshire about “an investment” in his startup, which he said was called The South End Cannabis Company. The woman ultimately invested $100,000, which she withdrew early from her retirement fund, and gave it to Williams in return for 33 percent of all future profits, Stempien wrote in the warrant. Stempien wrote that Williams told the woman that he planned to purchase a farm in New York where he would cultivate the marijuana, then would run a retail space out of Stamford. But the woman began to grow suspicious when Williams never provided her with any legal documentat­ion or financial records, the warrant said. In July 2022, the woman began asking for her money back, at which point Williams allegedly told her that “things take time for an investment,” according to the warrant. He also allegedly told her that he was partnering with Jay-Z and RocNation for the business, Stempien wrote. “Def will be a celebratio­n next week,” Williams allegedly told the woman, according to the warrant. When nearly a year passed and the woman still hadn’t received any proof of her investment, she told police and again demanded her money back. When Williams didn’t comply, she reported the situation to Stamford police. “(The victim) stated that she believes it was the intent of Williams to defraud her from the beginning and that he had no intention of including her in his business dealings whether legitimate or otherwise,” the warrant said. The investigat­ion revealed that Williams had never applied for any licensing permits in Connecticu­t and had never entered any agreements with RocNation, Stempien wrote. A review of his bank records also showed that Williams had spent money on a number of personal purchases, according to police including $3,135 at Audi Financial, more than $5,000 on event tickets from various online vendors, $80 at an adult retail store in Miramar, Fla., and for “several charges” at a Bostonbase­d luxury resort and casino, according to the warrant. Williams, who is free after posting a $250,000 bond, is next scheduled to appear in court on June 5.