For decades, the ritzy leisure and dining group Cipriani has attracted tabloid fixtures to its banquet halls, from Donald Trump to Taylor Swift, the Clintons, Kardashians, and Kennedys. But according to a new lawsuit, some of the real drama has played out within the company’s own ranks.
The complaint, filed in New York Supreme Court on Thursday, alleges that Cipriani was duped by its own facilities director and one of his subordinates into paying thousands of false invoices to outside vendors.
The company’s regional facilities director, Andrew Heaton, and facility assistant manager Franklin Palaquibay, received kickbacks for facilitating the false payments, the lawsuit asserts. In all, Cipriani says it paid at least $5 million to defendants Fulton Supply Hardware and Tek Mek Inc. “based on the fraudulent invoices.”
