When the file sharing website Megaupload was shut down by the feds in January several arrests were made including that of the company's owner Kim Schmitz aka Kim Dotcom. Others arrested included company co-founder Mathias Ortman, as well as chief marketing officer Finn Batao, and developer Bram van der Kolk.
The arrests occurred in New Zealand at the request of the FBI. The four were charged with "with running an international organized criminal enterprise allegedly responsible for massive worldwide online piracy of numerous types of copyrighted works through Megaupload.com and other related sites"
At the time of those arrests Swizz Beatz, real name Kasseem Dean, was cleared of responsibility "because his role in the company was loose and unfinalized." Now according to MTV the federal government is claiming that "Swizz was involved with the company and they are specifically using his involvement in an attempt to try the case in the United States."
Swizz was listed as a CEO of the company at the time it was taken down, but his lawyer would later claim that his involvement was only an endorsement and that Swizz had no real involvement in running the company.
The federal government is now disputing that fact. U.S. attorney Neil MacBridge says that Swizz represented Megaupload in front of the United States Trade Representative in December 2011, which indicates he was officially involved and gives the opportunity for the federal government to try a case against the site within the United States.
"After Defendant Dotcom became Defendant Megaupload's Chief Innovation Officer, the company appears to have employed at least two Chief Executive Officers in the United States: first David Robb and then Kasseem David Dean (also known as Swizz Beatz)," a filing by MacBridge connecting Swizz to Megaupload reads.
Swizz has yet to comment publicly on the most recent filing, but it appears likely he will be served a summons and have to defend himself in the upcoming court proceedings.
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