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      £550m Everton takeover could be OFF as US ‘investigates buyers over money laundering allegations’

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      A US Department of Justice prosecutor’s investigation could kill off the planned £550m Everton takeover by 777 Partners.Nicolas Roos, as assistant attorney in the Southern District of New York, is understood to be probing money-laundering allegations against the Miami-based company.
      Everton’s buy-out could now be uncertainCredit: Getty
      While 777 Partners have robustly denied all allegations against them, the launch of a formal investigation would allow Premier League chiefs to block the deal on the spot.
      New rules, introduced unanimously by the 20 top-flight clubs in March, granted the League “the power to stop” potential club bosses who are “under investigation for conduct that would result in a ‘Disqualifying Event’ if proven”.
      Those ‘Disqualifying Events’ now include “violence, corruption, fraud and tax evasion”. It doesn’t augur well.
      Farhad Moshiri agreed in September to sell his 94% stake in Everton to 777 Partners.
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      And the 12-week timeline initially given for that sale is now up.
      But before news of the US investigation the Toffees were still confident the deal could be completed by Christmas.
      The Prem are currently putting 777 co-owners Josh Wander and Steven Pasko through the Owners and Directors’ Test.
      Everton are already reeling from having ten points deducted for a single breach of Prem financial rules.
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      That means Sean Dyche’s men will enter Thursday’s home clash with Newcastle in the relegation zone.
      But Dwight McNeil’s fine goal last Saturday clinched the Toffees’ 1-0 at Nottingham Forest, their first victory since that points penalty. More

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      Shakira’s lawyer blames ex PIQUE for £7m tax fraud bill & says she’d have saved a fortune if she fell for Ramos instead

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      SHAKIRA’S lawyer has blamed Gerard Pique for her tax woes – and said she would have saved £100million by dating his rival star Sergio Ramos instead.Pau Molins said her 11-year romance with the retired Barcelona footballer led to her facing six tax fraud charges instead of three.
      Shakira’s lawyer Pau Molins blamed Pique for her £7million tax fraud billCredit: Getty
      He said the pop star would have saved millions of pounds dating Sergio Ramos insteadCredit: Instagram @sergioramos
      The Colombian singer arrived at Barcelona’s court with her lawyer Pau MolinsCredit: AFP
      After finalising a plea deal yesterday, the lawyer claimed Spain’s tax laws are not fair to everyone.
      He said residents in Madrid – where Ramos played for Real – do not pay wealth tax.
      But those living in Catalonia, where Shakira lived with Barca ace Pique, are required to pay wealth tax.
      In turn, if Shakira had lived with Madrid-based Ramos, she would have saved around £100million due to the Real player not residing in an area where a wealth tax is paid.
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      Currently, Andalucia and Madrid are the only regions in Spain where wealth tax is exempt.
      Speaking on the singer’s relationship with Pique, Molins said: “Shakira’s infatuation has cost her 120million euros.
      “If she had fallen in love with Sergio Ramos instead of Gerard Pique, it would have cost her a lot less”.
      He went on to add: “They go on about the equality of all Spaniards, but it turns out that if you’re resident in Catalonia you can go to jail for a crime they couldn’t imprison you for in Madrid.”
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      He claimed this boiled down to the fact that there was no wealth tax in the Spanish capital.
      Molins also insisted he had wanted to go to trial, saying: “I thought we could have won,” but said Shakira had decided to make a deal.
      He went on to defend his client, claiming: “With international artists, it’s very difficult.
      “Where do they live if they spend all their lives travelling? In 2011 Shakira did a world tour and visited 74 countries.
      “It’s very complicated to determine where they should pay their taxes.”
      Shakira admitted six counts of tax fraud yesterday at a court in Barcelona and agreed to pay £7million in a deal to dodge a lengthy eight-year prison sentence.
      She said she accepted the charges for the sake of her sons Milan, ten, and Sasha, 8, and so she can move on with her career.
      In a statement issued through her representatives, Shakira said her lawyers were confident she would win the case but she opted to avoid a trial that would likely span several months.
      The singer said: “Throughout my career, I have always strived to do what’s right and set a positive example for others.
      “While I was determined to defend my innocence in a trial that my lawyers were confident would have ruled in my favour, I have decided to finally resolve this matter with the best interest of my kids at heart who do not want to see their mom sacrifice her well-being in this fight.
      “I need to move past the stress and emotional toll of the last several years and focus on the things I love – my kids and all the opportunities to come in my career, including my upcoming world tour and my new album, both of which I am extremely excited about.
      “I admire tremendously those who have fought these injustices to the end, but for me, today, winning is getting my time back for my kids and my career.”
      The prosecution case is centred on whether Shakira was a resident of Spain or the Bahamas between the start of 2012 and the end of 2014.
      She claimed she was a resident in the Bahamas between the three years in dispute – and says she shouldn’t have been considered a Spanish resident for tax purposes, despite starting to date her ex Gerard Pique in 2010.
      Her court trial, due to last until December 20 over 12 sessions, did not go ahead as a result of the plea bargain deal.
      Judge Manuel del Amo confirmed in open court after hearing the singer’s guilty plea that in light of the agreement, he was handing her a three-year prison sentence – six months for each of the six counts of tax fraud she had admitted to.
      He then added her prison time would be replaced by a fine.
      Earlier this year it emerged Shakira is also facing a separate tax probe in Spain, and is running separately to the case that went to trial on Monday.
      Officials confirmed in July a court near Barcelona had agreed to investigate her at the request of state prosecutors for suspected 2018 tax breaches.
      The wealth tax in Spain is an annual tax payable on the total net value of assets held on December 31.
      Spanish tax residents pay tax on their worldwide assets.
      Shakira arrived in Barcelona last weekend from Miami ahead of her performance at the annual Latin Grammys in Seville on Thursday where she scooped up three awards.
      Spain football star Ramos handed her an award at the ceremony – where she took a brutal swipe at Pique in her acceptance speech.
      She returned to Barcelona with her brother Tonino, assistant Lili Melgar, and her two children and spent the weekend at her old family mansion in nearby Espluges de Llobregat.
      Shakira said she struck the last-minute deal for her children
      Shakira celebrates at the Latin Grammys with sons Milan and Sasha More

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      Piers Morgan calls out ‘total fraud’ Erik ten Hag and issues damning reminder of Man Utd transfer decision

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      PIERS MORGAN labelled Erik ten Hag a “total fraud” after reminding Manchester United of Cristiano Ronaldo’s sizzling form.Morgan pointed out old boy Ronaldo has netted 43 times this year – whereas Ten Hag’s Red Devils are struggling for form and goals.
      Erik ten Hag faced more criticism from Piers Morgan over Cristiano Ronaldo’s exit after Man Utd’s 3-0 home defeat against neighbours CityCredit: Getty
      Ex-United striker Ronaldo has been in hot scoring form for Al-NassrCredit: Getty
      Sunday’s 3-0 home humbling by Manchester City was United’s fifth defeat in ten Premier League games this season.
      The Red Devils are only eighth after scoring just 11 Prem goals.
      And Ronaldo’s latest successor Rasmus Hojlund has so far drawn a total blank in the league – just like Wout Weghorst did.
      Hojlund is goalless from seven Prem matches despite United paying Atalanta £72million for the 20-year-old in the summer.
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      Last season’s surprise loanee Weghorst ended up with no goals in 17 league games.
      Sun columnist Morgan posted: “As Manchester United get humiliated by City at home, a reminder that Erik Ten Hag drove @Cristiano out of the club and said he’d lose no sleep over it… and that the same @Cristiano has since scored 43 goals for club & country this year.
      “The guy’s a total fraud.”
      Many fans agreed with the talkSPORT presenter and Arsenal fan, whose interview with Ronaldo last November eventually led to the superstar’s departure over New Year.
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      But others reckon a bigger factor is the long-term issue of the club’s owners, the Glazers.
      Five-time Ballon d’Or winner Ron, 38, is on fire for his Saudi club Al-Nassr as well as reaching 127 goals from 203 games for Portugal.
      One supporter posted: “Thank you for your reminder Piers” and another added: “Ronaldo deserves an apology from Eric Ten Hag”.
      “Total fraud, I agree,” said a third.
      A fourth fan compared Ron’s falling out with Ten Hag to that of an England winger currently frozen out by the same manager.
      That supporter wrote: “Cristiano Ronaldo and Jadon Sancho were right.”
      One observer said of Ten Hag: “He has this overhyped ego…he is still waiting for apologies from Sancho.”
      But some fans took a deeper look at United’s problems.
      Such views included: “As long as the owners are the same and Ten Hag is the coach, the dream theatre team will never wake up.”
      But a few fans questioned whether Ron should ever have come back in August 2021 for his 16-month second spell at Old Trafford.
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      One said: “Ronaldo’s return was the worst thing to happen.”
      And another argued: “Ole (Gunnar Solskjaer) agreed. It destabilized the team Ole had built. I stand on this.”
      Morgan feels Ten Hag should rue Ron leaving more than everCredit: The Mega Agency More

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      Fraudster conned football charity out of £200K and used the cash to fly to Qatar for World Cup

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      A FRAUDSTER who conned a football charity out of £200,000 used the cash to fly to Qatar to follow England at the World Cup.Fraser White, 24, splurged £7,000 of his loot on designer clothes and posed for photos with a Three Lions banner.
      Fraser White conned a football charity out of £200,000 and used the cash to fly to Qatar to follow England at the World Cup
      White was jailed for 32 months at Reading crown court
      He attended qualifier matches in Malta, Spain and Italy — and shared photos of his travels, including at Qatar’s Lusail Stadium during the tournament in December 2022.
      As director of a youth academy, he used his ­knowledge of the industry to defraud the Football Foundation, the UK’s biggest sports charity.
      He made 34 false grant applications claiming to be for nine real clubs across Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire between June 2020 and February 2023.
      White bought subscriptions for computer programs to create forged documents with false aliases and he set up ten different bank accounts.

      Prosecutor Jack Walsh said he applied for £231,038 and obtained £199,433 — all of which he had spent.
      The Football Foundation told a court it was oversubscribed for grants to help save clubs after Covid so some missed out because of the fraud.
      White, of Maidenhead, Berks, ran the All Star Football Academy in the town and worked as a ticketing executive at Reading FC.
      He admitted what the judge called a “well-planned and sophisticated fraud” and was jailed for 32 months at Reading crown court.
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      Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou breaks silence on billionaire Joe Lewis’ insider trading charges in turbulent pre-season

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      ANGE POSTECOGLOU insists his Spurs revolution will be unaffected despite supremo Joe Lewis surrendering to US authorities over insider trading charges.Lewis faces 19 charges of securities fraud and conspiracy after appearing in a Manhattan courthouse.
      Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou insists Joe Lewis’ charges won’t affect the seasonCredit: EPA
      The billionaire, 86, whose family trust owns Spurs, has been accused of a “brazen” scheme which allegedly saw girlfriends, business assistants, personal pilots and friends net millions of pounds between them.
      But Spurs boss Postecoglou said: “It doesn’t affect me in terms of what I’m trying to do. No one’s said anything like that to me.
      “Tottenham have already said it’s not a club matter.”
      Lewis has been charged with 16 counts of securities fraud — the first 13 of which carry a max of 20 years in prison — plus three counts of conspiracy from 2013 to 2021 when he was Tottenham owner.
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      Lewis, a Bahamas tax exile, pleaded not guilty to all charges and was released after posting $300million in bail.
      He is due back in court on September 5.
      His lawyer David Zornow said: “The government has made an egregious error in judgment in charging Mr Lewis, a man of impeccable integrity and prodigious accomplishment.
      “Mr Lewis has come to the US voluntarily to answer the ill-conceived charges. We will defend him vigorously in court.”
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      Londoner Lewis bought a controlling stake in Spurs from Alan Sugar for £22m in 2001.
      But he officially ceded control of the club last year, with Bahamian lawyer Bryan Glinton replacing him as a director, according to Companies House.
      Lewis’ stake in the club — which he held through his ENIC group alongside chairman Daniel Levy — was formally handed to a family trust last year, too.
      Some of his family members remain beneficiaries of the trust. But Prem chiefs will NOT intervene as Lewis gave up his majority stake in the club in October.
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      Lewis faces 19 charges of securities fraud and conspiracyCredit: EPA
      A Tottenham spokesperson said: “This is a legal matter unconnected with the club and, as such, we have no comment.”
      However, the scandal could mean Spurs facing a cut-price takeover offer.
      City insiders suggest the club is valued in excess of £3.5BILLION.
      But, although the club pointed to Lewis’ share disposal nine months ago as proof of his lack of involvement, City insiders believe any would-be buyers from the US or Middle East will now move with low-ball offers nearer the £2.5bn mark.
      Tottenham disclosed the share changes to Companies House in October.
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      New York attorney Damian Williams said: “We allege that for years Joe Lewis abused his access to corporate boardrooms and repeatedly provided inside information to his romantic partners, personal assistants, private pilots and friends.
      “Those folks traded on that inside information and made millions of dollars in the stock market.” More

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      EFL chairman Andy Pilley jailed for 13 years after massive multi-million scam

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      A DISGRACED football club owner has been jailed for 13 years over a huge energy contract scam worth £15million.Andy Pilley targeted small businesses by tricking them into signing long-term energy contracts.
      Andy Pilley has been jailed for 13 yearsCredit: Mark Robinson – The Sun
      The 52-year-old, who owns English League One side Fleetwood Town, has now been jailed for 13 years.
      Pilley was of two counts of running a business with the intention of defrauding creditors alongside his sister Michelle Davidson, 49, and two others.
      He was also found guilty of one count of false representation and one count of being concerned with the retention of criminal property.
      The mis-selling included false or misleading statements about the length and price of the contract as well as competitor rates.
      Pilly and his associates used a “web” of interconnected companies to dupe small businesses across the UK between 2014 and 2016.
      They targeted charities, including guest houses and children’s charities, and companies that provided support to disabled people.
      By 2019, the annual turnover at both companies was £100million.
      Prosecutors said the scam is estimated to have reached an eye-watering £15million.
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      Michael Bichard, chairman of National Trading Standards, said: “Small business owners were deliberately deceived and locked in to contracts that were long-term and expensive, leaving many businesses struggling to pay the bills and sadly driving some business owners into making the difficult decision to cease trading.
      “This is not a victimless crime – small business owners have lost vast sums of money to this fraud and many businesses have gone under.”
      Pilley was charged with the allegations in September 2021 following a five-year investigation into BES Utilities, which has been Fleetwood Town’s main sponsor for 18 years.
      The club said today: “Fleetwood Town Football Club acknowledges the sentencing in the court case involving former club chairman, Andy Pilley.
      The club would like to reiterate convictions are against individuals and not Fleetwood Town FC, or any of the businesses associated with them, and will continue to operate as normal.
      Fleetwood Town remain in communication with the EFL in relation to the implications of the convictions and will now be making an application to the League in relation to a change of control the club will make no further comment at this time.
      The Fleetwood owner targeted small businessesCredit: PA More

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      Arsenal star Granit Xhaka CLEARED of any involvement in possible betting scam for yellow card v Leeds last season

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      GRANIT XHAKA has been cleared of any involvement in a possible betting scam. Arsenal star Xhaka was the subject of investigation by the FA, Gambling Commission and National Crime Agency following a yellow card he received against Leeds in December 2021.
      Granit Xhaka has been cleared of any involvement in an alleged betting scamCredit: Getty
      Xhaka was booked for time wasting in a 2021 clash against LeedsCredit: Getty
      The investigation into the 30-year-old even looked into alleged involvement from the Albanian mafia.
      However, following multiple investigations, the matter has finally been closed after it was deemed Xhaka had no case to answer.
      The match the Swiss international received his card with the Gunners 3-0 ahead.
      Xhaka was then booked by Andre Marriner for time wasting on a free-kick in the 86th minute.
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      Suspicious betting patterns were picked up regarding the booking, including one bet worth £52,000 being placed on him getting the caution.
      The following six months saw the FA investigate the alleged offence, before they passed the matter onto the NCA who have now dropped the case due to a lack of evidence.
      Having joined Arsenal from Borussia Monchengladbach in 2016, Xhaka has gone on to make 295 appearances for the North London outfit.
      However, his time at the Emirates looks set to come to an end this summer.
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      The Swiss International is said to be nearing a return to the Bundesliga with Bayer Leverkusen.
      With Arsenal set to receive £15million for Xhaka, Mikel Arteta will push club bosses to bring in some midfield reinforcements.
      West Ham star Declan Rice has been heavily linked with a transfer.
      But recent reports suggest talks will not open between the two clubs until June. More

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      EFL chairman found guilty of fraud and facing prison and losing club ownership after five-year investigation

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      FLEETWOOD TOWN Chairman Andy Pilley has been found guilty on four counts of fraud following an eight-month trial.BES Utilities – the firm owned by Pilley – stood accused of multi-million pound fraud involving the mis-selling of energy supply contracts to small businesses. 
      Pilley has been found guilty on four counts of fraudCredit: Mark Robinson – The Sun
      And on Friday, the 52-year-old was found guilty on all the charges, which include two counts of running a business with the intention of defrauding creditors, one count of false representations, and one count of being concerned with the retention of criminal property.
      Pilley’s sister, Michelle Davidson, 49, as well as Lee Qualter, 52, and Joel Chapman, 38, were also found guilty of a number of fraud offences.
      The Fleetwood Chairman was remanded in custody after the jury delivered their unanimous verdict.
      The presiding judge, Judge Knowles KC, has indicated that he will likely face a prison term when he is sentenced on May 23. 
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      After the verdict was announced on Friday, Fleetwood Town released an official statement which read: “Fleetwood Town Football Club acknowledges the verdict in the court case involving club Chairman, Andy Pilley.
      “The Chairman would like to reassure supporters the club will continue to operate as normal.
      “Today’s verdicts will not affect the running or future of Fleetwood Town Football Club. 
      “The club is already in talks with the EFL regarding the next steps and will be making no further comment at this time.”
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      An additional statement read: “Fleetwood Town would like to reassure supporters the Club will continue to operate as normal and there will be no risk to the future of the club.
      “The Club’s Senior Management Team and directors have been planning for a number of months for the event of a verdict of this nature.
      “A meeting of the Club’s management has taken place this evening and plans are already in operation to ensure its business as usual.
      “We’d like to reassure supporters charges are solely brought against Andy Pilley and not Fleetwood Town Football Club or any of the businesses attached to the group.
      “Talks have already taken place with the EFL and an announcement regarding the next step will be made in due course.”
      Pilley was charged with the allegations in September 2021 following a five-year investigation into BES Utilities, which has been Fleetwood Town’s main sponsor for 18 years.
      The Fishermen finished the 2022-23 campaign 13th in the League One table. More