Kanye West might end up on the witness stand in a Chicago courthouse.
According to the Chicago Tribune, ‘Ye has been subpoenaed to testify in a federal trial involving one of his former employees. Arjun Dhillon faces fraud charges for allegedly trying to scam a philanthropist out of $250,000 by using Kanye West’s name.
Dhillon’s trial begins in a matter of weeks with jury selection scheduled to start on April 4. Dhillon’s attorney Sheldon Zenner admitted ‘Ye hasn’t personally received notice of the subpoena at a hearing on Wednesday (March 9).
Kanye West’s presence at the trial must be settled soon with jury selection quickly approaching. Prospective jurors need to be screened about their perceptions of ‘Ye. Court security also must prepare for the arrival of a high-profile celebrity if he ends up testifying.
Prosecutors claim Dhillon manipulated a philanthropist to wire $250,000 to a bank account supposedly affiliated with Kanye West in 2019. The account belonged to Dhillon, whose bank flagged the transaction.
Dhillon allegedly crafted fake emails to convince the victim of his close ties to Kanye West since he stopped working for ‘Ye in 2018. Dhillon’s scheme failed when the victim alerted a bank to the potential fraud and stopped the money from being transferred.