π A scam ecosystem | Morning Newsletter
And high stakes to get Philly City Council seats
The Morning Newsletter
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Our lead story takes a closer look at the questionable business practices of a Philly real estate influencer.
β Taylor Allen (@TayImanAllen, morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)
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Real estate influencers Greg Parker Jr and his wife, Danielle βNikkiβ Morris Parker, share a lavish lifestyle online. Greg, who goes by Big Bizzneesss on Instagram, has over 285,000 followers.
The duo share a rags-to-riches story of building an empire and encourage their 285,000 Instagram followers to do the same β for a price.
They promote investment seminars with tickets as low as $97 but then offer a range of upsells: a VIP pass for $297; one-on-one mentorship for $5,000 or more; and the chance to invest in Greg Parkerβs handpicked properties at βrock bottomβ prices.
Over the past two years, a growing number of their aspiring real estate investors have filed federal lawsuits in Philadelphia alleging that itβs a scam.
The RICO lawsuits accuse the couple and their companies of taking thousands of dollars from clients for mentoring that never happened and property sales that never went through. And if the sales did materialize, the properties were condemned or burdened with unpaid liens without the investorsβ knowledge. Several plaintiffs allege they were conned into giving thousands of dollars to Parker for properties he didnβt own.
Continue reading about the breadth of their alleged scam that spans multiple cities and states.
What you should know today
The Philadelphia Police Department changed its narrative about the killing of 27-year-old Eddie Irizarry. The police now say that that Irizzary did not flee the traffic stop and never lunged at officers with a knife before an officer shot him multiple times.
Cheyney alum want the HBCU to be under federal control to transform the university. The state system disagrees.
The Sixers faced questions about trust during their series of five online forums about their plans for a downtown arena Tuesday night.
Just as Phillyβs landlord-tenant officer moved to resume lockouts, a second tenant that was shot by a private security contractor during an eviction filed a lawsuit.
Starbucks must pay an additional $2.7 million to a former Philly-area manager who said she was fired for being white. This is on top of the $25.6 million in damages she was awarded in June.
Bruce Springsteen announced his Philly shows are postponed just hours before his first show was supposed to start, citing personal illness.
Six of Phillyβs antique trolleys from the 1940s will return to Girard Avenue next month.
Philadelphiaβs Republican Party appealed a judgeβs ruling that kept City Councilmember Kendra Brooks and her Working Families Party running mate, Nicolas OβRourke, on Novemberβs ballot.
The takeaway: The stakes are high as the progressive Working Families Party attempts to oust Republicans from at-large Council seats that have historically been GOP seats.
This move comes after Philadelphia Common Pleas Judge Joshua Roberts rejected a Republican request to remove Brooks and OβRourke because they filed statements of financial interests electronically instead of submitting hard copies.
Reminder: For seven decades, Democrats held five at-large seats on Council while Republicans had two. Brooks disrupted that in 2019 when she won her seat.
Keep reading to learn about the Republican Partyβs argument for the appeal.
π§ Trivia time π§
What year did Citizens Bank Park open?
A) 2004
B) 2000
C) 1998
D) 2010
Think you know? Check your answer.
What weβre...
π Wondering: How you decide when and when not to tip. If youβre not sure, we have a tipping guide with insights from people working in the service industry.
π Watching: A former fundraiser for U.S. Rep. George Santos allegedly impersonated a congressional aide while soliciting contributions for the lawmakerβs campaign.
𧩠Unscramble the anagram π§©
Hint: Home to the Ryan Observatory
DRANK YUP DRUM
Email us if you know the answer. Weβll select a reader at random to shout out here. Cheers to Elise Pizzi, who correctly guessed Wednesdayβs answer: Franklin Institute.
Photo of the day
Thatβs it from me. Have a good Thursday! Thank you for waking up with The Inquirer.