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Another development has been made in the multi-million money laundering scheme case involving James Whitner, owner of Social Status and A Ma Maniere.

Whitner will reportedly not file a claim for nearly $1.2 million seized from one of his business associates, said federal prosecutors.

Attorneys for Whitner and his associates asked for four extensions in the civil forfeiture. However, Whitner ultimately did not file a claim by the final Friday deadline.

In November 2023, Whitner was named and allegedly involved in selling millions of dollars worth of sneakers to Chinese nationals and engaging in a purported money-laundering operation.

The focal point of the forfeiture action is $1,199,530 in cash seized from the apartment of Whitner’s close associate, Antwain Freeman, in August 2021. Prosecutors assert that this money was linked to an “unlicensed money transmitting business involving Chinese money couriers,” implicating Whitner, Freeman, and others.

The Whitaker Group issued a statement (located in full below) denying the allegations, emphasizing their commitment to legal compliance and transparency in inventory management. It also highlights the collaboration with Nike, a major partner headquartered in Oregon, and asserts that the allegations are baseless and unrelated to their business or community.

Stay tuned to Nice Kicks as the story develops.

The statement released by The Whitaker Group to Nice Kicks is below in its totality:

The recent action by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of North Carolina (USAO) comes after significant cooperation and good-faith negotiations on our part. To be clear, while we take the allegations in the complaint seriously, they are unfounded, unrelated to our business or this community and unjustified. Our professional inventory management team runs a transparent process built on systems that are both legally compliant and consistent with industry standards. We have also complied with all tax obligations annually.

We have been a staple of the global business community for over 20 years, operating over twenty locations and employing over 250 employees across the country. Our work has been dedicated to helping people of color tell their stories and build a legacy of excellence. That work is now under attack, despite our best efforts at productive engagement with the USAO.

We disagree with the USAO’s allegations concerning our business and remain appreciative of the extraordinary support our vendor partners have shown and continue to show throughout this process.  Our success has made us an easy target caught in the middle of a U.S. financial and regulatory war with China of which we have no part in.

We look forward to defending our business and operating model while continuing to proudly serve the communities that have embraced us over the last 20 years. This complaint will not deter us from continuing to tell our stories and build a legacy of excellence and we will continue to vigorously defend our business and all that they contribute to culture, commerce and the community.

– The Whitaker Group

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