Claims of Streaming Manipulation
The lawsuit, brought by LaShawnna Ridley and Tiffany Hines, alleges the defendants used transferred funds to finance fraudulent streaming activity for Drake’s music. The complaint claims automated bots and streaming farms were deployed to inflate play counts on major platforms, including Spotify.
“These manipulations,” the filing alleges, suppressed legitimate artists and distorted curated music experiences for listeners. The claims mirror allegations raised in a recent lawsuit targeting Spotify over artificial streaming activity.
Role of a Social Media Facilitator
Nguyen is identified as the operator of the Instagram news-clipping account @grandwizardchatn*a**, according to the complaint. Prosecutors allege he functioned as a broker and operational coordinator, receiving cryptocurrency through Stake-related channels and working with bot vendors to manage amplification strategies.
The filing claims Nguyen supervised coordinated campaigns across social media platforms, including X, formerly Twitter, and integrated paid clipping operations to boost visibility while targeting competitors with disparaging content.
