Chicago Tribune reports that the 44-year-old artist has been subpoenaed to testify in the trial of former employee Arjun Dhillon, who faces federal fraud charges. Ye was initially identified in court documents as "Musician A"; however, prosecutors agreed to reveal his name because potential jurors must disclose all preconceived notions they have about Ye. As Ye's arrival will likely attract large crowds, court security will need advance notice of his possible court appearance.
In the wake of Dhillon's federal wire fraud charges filed more than two years ago, the subpoena was issued. The indictment states that Dhillon was "briefly affiliated" with Ye, but was fired sometime in October 2018-about a year before the alleged scam. Prosecutors accuse the defendant of “falsely representing his association with Kanye West to secure a $250,000 payment” from a Florida-based philanthropist. The victim was able to stop the transfer after notifying his own bank, according to legal documents.
Dhillon is also accused of creating bogus email accounts to convince the victim that he was still in close contact with Ye, who was reportedly unaware of the alleged scam.
The subpoenas were issued by the defendant's legal team to Ye as well as Pryor Cashman LLP, the firm that represents Ye in civil and family court cases. Sheldon Zenner, Sheldon Dhillon's attorney, said Ye hadn't received notice of the subpoena, but his offices "have so far refused to accept service."
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