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THE BIG IDEA

George Mason basketball scammer facing wire fraud charge

This man from Atlanta (almost) pulled off a slick heist that would make even Danny Ocean blush.

Maurice Eugene Smith, owner of the smooth-sounding "Eugene Toriko LLC," is facing charges for straight-up bamboozling George Mason University's men's basketball squad out of a cool $109K just a few months ago.

Let's rewind: The Patriots were hyped to hit the sunny beach for an epic preseason trip. They hit up a travel company (let's call them "Company Ayyy-lmao") to make it happen. Company Ayyy-lmao brought Smith into the mix, and my man didn't waste a second putting on the full-court press.

Smith's opening gambit? A $149K quote for the whole Bahamian shebang — flights, hotels, the works. After some back-and-forth worthy of the AND1 mixtape circuit, GMU took the bait, signing on the dotted line in April '24.

Here's where it gets spicy: Over the next few months, the University kept pumping cash into Company Ayyy-lmao's account, who then funneled a cool $109,756.07 directly to Smith's Eugene Toriko slush fund. For a vet hustler, he knew exactly what he was doing — he even had the gall to "reserve" 30 flights and book rooms at the swanky Grand Hyatt.

Except...he didn't actually book anything.

While the Patriots were likely envisioning Insta-worthy beachside layup lines, Smith was potentially blowing that cash on, uhh, let's say "extracurriculars." When Company Ayyy-lmao started getting antsy about the impending departure date, our guy kept spinning tales, stringing them along to the very last second.

By the time the jig was up, the University was out $109K. Smith tried pleading innocence at first, but now the former ball boss is benched and facing up to 20 years for his slick wire fraud.

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Bulletin Board 📌 

Reader Restaurant Recommendation

One of our readers, Matt, recommends you guys check out Wooboi Hot Chicken. They’ve got locations all over NoVA, and claim they have the juiciest and crispiest chicken sandwiches in the DMV — which is a pretty ballsy statement considering how many hot chicken spots there are around here.

QUICK HITS

• These two teenagers made a miniature version of Old Town Manassas with LEGOs 🧱 

• Restaurants in DC are increasingly asking their guests to stay off of their phones at all times 📵 

• This picture of local metro riders is pretty bleak… maybe the restaurants are right 🤔 

LIVE EVENT LOWDOWN

• City of Fairfax Holiday Market | week two of the market wraps up this weekend in Old Town Fairfax 🛍️ 

• International Gem and Jewelry Store | the greatest selection of diamonds, gold, silver, costume or fine jewelry, and more. All under one roof at Dulles Expo Center 💎 

• Lucketts Holiday Open House | a magical holiday event with Christmas shopping, a wine garden. and more! 🏠️ 

• Leesburg Holiday Parade | the holiday spirit will be in full swing during this annual parade 🎊 

• Jungle Book Live | the holiday opera returns for all ages with a new take on the Kipling classic at the Kennedy Center 🐯 

• Del Ray Candy Cane Bar Crawl | get ready for an afternoon of cheer, cocktails, raffles and more (tomorrow in Alexandria) 🍻 

• Herndon WinterMarkt | family friendly entertainment and items, bringing the charm of this European tradition to Herndon ❄️ 

• Second Saturday Sungazing | become an astronomer and observe the sun safely with a filtered telescope at the Air and Space Museum 🔭 

• Winter Waterland | enjoy ice skating, hot chocolate bar, a visit from Santa and Mrs Claus, a photobooth, arts and crafts and beatuiful performances from the Arlington Philharmonic at National Landing! ⛸️ 

• Tysons Winter Market 2024 | the 4th annual winter market at The PARC with activities for the whole family 🎅 

• Old Town Holiday Market | celebrate the spirit of the season at John Carlyle Square with festive artisans, delicious treats, and heartwarming holiday activities 🎄 

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