T.I. is being hit with an amended lawsuit for fraud after his former restaurant employees accuse him and his business partner of diverting hundreds of thousands of dollars in an attempt to avoid paying their employees.
Earlier this month, multiple employees of T.I.’s now closed restaurant, Scales 925, filed a class action lawsuit for unpaid wages and overtime.
The initial lawsuit claimed that T.I. and his partner, Charles Hughes, diverted hundreds of thousands of dollars when both partners knew the business would likely go under. They also alleged that the partners used money from the business for their own financial gain, paying themselves extremely high wages during times of turmoil.
Scales 925 was only open for one year, closing in 2016 due to a whirlwind of problems. In early 2018, the restaurant filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy and was closed claiming the business had no assets.
Now the ex-employees allege that there is evidence that T.I. and Hughes made bank transfers from Scales 925 to themselves, totaling $663,933.98.
The former employees are asking that the full $663,933.98 be turned over.
In February, T.I. was ordered to pay $78K after he and his partners reached a settlement with a group of ex-employees for overtime wages. But, the employees say Tip ripped them off by transferring $40K to himself and other partners instead of paying the settlement.
The lawsuit is ongoing.