Posts Tagged ‘Former’

From Behind Bars, Author Jamila T. Davis, Former Multimillionaire, Celebrity Adviser Debuts Her New Memoir Cautioning The Young And Old To Deter From Crime

Thursday, September 4th, 2014


(PRWEB) August 28, 2014

From Behind Bars, Inmate Jamila T. Davis, Former Multimillionaire, Hip Hop Music & Professional Sports Celebrity Advisor, Pens Brutally Honest Cautionary Tale/Memoir, Triggering The Young And Old To Think Twice Before Committing Crimes.

Housed at the Danbury Federal Prison Camp For Women in Danbury, Connecticut (home of the hit television show “Orange Is The New Black”), inmate/activist Jamila T. Davis has used her real-life experiences and heroic candidness to write a series of books which are helping to transform the lives of incarcerated women and has sparked a prison reform movement. Continuing this brazen streak, Davis has penned her first mainstream memoir, She’s All Caught Up!

In the late 90’s, at the mere age of 19, Jamila T. Davis captivated the inner streets of New York City promoting her company New Beginnings Financial Services. Davis, guised in gaudy diamond jewelry, a full length mink coat and expensive designer clothing, recruited a troupe of attractive women whose job was to drive around the city in various brand new models of Mercedes Benz vehicles, which Jamila provided. Utilizing these women as her sexy sales team on wheels, this savvy, young entrepreneur quickly became a sought after figure by both street hustlers and hip hop artists who utilized her services to finance luxury vehicles.

“In 1996 when I purchased my first new luxury car, a white Lexus GS300 Touring Edition, the course of my life changed immensely. At the time I was a 19 year old customer service representative at the Dime Savings Bank who was hardly known outside of my neighborhood. Yet when I bought this car which in my area only the rapper Jay-Z and music executive Irv Gotti had at the time, my notoriety went through the roof! People began to ask me to help them get luxury cars also, which I successfully did. This led me to start my own business. Overnight, the phone in my office began to ring off the hook. From local hustlers to iconic rap stars and music executives, they all sought my services which increased my clientele substantially. I felt at the time I was finally living out my dreams!” stated Davis, a 37 year old, single mother of two children, serving a decade plus sentence for bank fraud.”

After two close brush-ins with the law, Jamila, also known as “Mila Winfrey” to the likes of celebrities such as Jada Kiss, Fabolous, D.J. Clue, Dwight Freeney and Zab Judah, got her Real Estate Broker’s license in 1998 and expanded into real estate investments. Opening a new company Diamond Star Financial, she provided millions of dollars in financing for homes of celebrities causing her to sky rocket to the top of her field, ultimately becoming a multimillionaire by the age of 25. Responsible for forging valuable business partnerships and personal relationships between hip hop artists and professional sports figures, Jamila gained great respect and notoriety amongst her peers. Unbeknownst to her at the time, her lavish spending habits, which encompassed the purchase of 9 high-end estates in Bergen County, New Jersey and a fleet of vehicles including a Maybach, along with shady business practices, would cause her severe long term consequences. In the middle of negotiations for a private jet to be used for her celebrity clients, Davis gained the attention of the FBI and her self-made empire quickly crumbled.

In 2008, Jamila T. Davis was convicted of bank fraud for her role in a 30 million dollar mortgage fraud scheme and sentenced to 12 1/2 years in federal prison (See U.S. v. Davis 2:05-cr-0482-JLL-01 (District of New Jersey)). From behind bars, stripped of her worldly possessions, she has utilized her pen and pad as weapons to overcome adversity, creating several books to empower her generation.

“Trapped behind bars a little over six years, I’ve noticed a constant cycle of women who’ve come in and out of these prison doors. Although we vary in age, background and ethnicity we all seem to share one common denominator; we highly sought after the esteem of others, placing their acceptance over our own well-being. To sum it up, we were chasing! Some chased after love, appreciation & friendship; others chased after money, notoriety and power. Caught up in the thorn of materialism or acceptance many of us lost precious years of our lives behind bars.” Stated Davis, who is also a founder of the WomenOverIncarcerated.org prison reform movement.

“Sitting on the top of my bunk in a 5 1/2 x 9 cubicle, which isn’t much bigger than the smallest walk in closet or the elevator inside the luxury condo I once lived in, I’ve had nothing but time to think and reflect. Through my writing I have back tracked the steps of how I landed in prison, which led to profound discoveries I never had time to take note of in the free world. I was able to pinpoint key events, places and people who ultimately swayed my way of thinking. After my success in reaching teens in a prison public speaking group, I realized my story could really make a difference. I wrote my book ‘She’s All Caught Up’ about my early life experiences to warn youth about the severe consequences of poor choices and to enlighten parents to the common pitfalls that teens fall prey to.”

“Raising my children from a prison visiting room these last past six years, I can honestly say it wasn’t worth it! I missed out on so many memorable events in their lives. My son was only 11 years old when I was first incarcerated. This past June he graduated from high school, which was a key memorable occasion I missed out on. I’d give back every single dollar I ever made to regain my freedom and return home to my family!”

“Movies and books often glorify the lifestyle of crime, but few talk about the psyche of those of us who live life on the edge and dare to take such risks. I created my book to share the truth of the inner void I was searching so passionately to fill. Like many others, I falsely believed people, places and things would satisfy me, so I chased after them relentlessly. In the end I discovered how pointless it all was. There is a huge lesson that has come out of my life story which I want to share with the world. It is my goal to prevent anymore Young Jamilas from having to serve decade plus sentences behind bars to awaken to the truth!”

Young Jamila grew up in a loving two parent, middle class home in Jamaica Queens, New York. Her hardworking parents, the Davises, overcame barriers of poverty and racism faced by African Americans in the segregated South. Determined to afford their own children the opportunities they themselves never had, the Davises provided their children with a good life, hoping to guarantee their success.

At first it seemed as if their formula worked. Jamila became her parents “star child.” Throughout elementary and middle school she maintained straight A’s, graced the stage at Lincoln Center in dance recitals and toured the country in an off-Broadway play. All was copacetic until high school years when Young Jamila meets her first love- a well known drug dealer from the Southside housing projects. Poisoned by the thorn of materialism, Jamila’s values quickly changed. She lusts after independence, power and notoriety, and she chooses life in the fast lane to claim them.

When this good girl goes bad it seems like there is no turning back!

It’s not an easy task to gain the attention of today’s youth, but author Jamila T. Davis’s street credibility gains her access and her action packed, eye opening story hits home! This audacious inmate author/activist is determined to overcome adversity, pay her way forward and transform lives through her literary work. This time around her formula for success is writing it like it is!

“An exceptionally well written and dramatically candid account, Jamila T. Davis’ personal story is very highly recommended reading, especially for teenagers and young adults facing similar backgrounds and temptations. ‘She’s All Caug

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Former Realtor.com CEO to Head RETA Real Estate Town Advocates Network

Sunday, December 29th, 2013


Rumson, NJ (PRWEB) November 19, 2013

Former Realtor.com CEO to head RETA: Real Estate Town Advocates Network; Network to propel ‘location, location, location’ to new heights; off and online!

Larry Vecchio, Founder and CEO of HomesInYourTown.com and HomesIn.com, a town and city-specific network of URLs and websites provided to the real estate industry, announced that Allan Dalton, former CEO of Realtor.com and President of HomesInYourTown, will also serve as President of the Real Estate Town Advocates Network.

The Real Estate Town Advocates Network, to be launched in the 1st quarter of 2014, will soon begin selecting interested real estate agents, “Ones who have long been primed to assume the official role of Real Estate Town Advocate for the town, towns, cities, villages or communities they already capably and enthusiastically serve and support, declared Vecchio.

The Real Estate Town Advocates Network and business model emerge out of the reality that the adage of ‘location, location, location’ significantly drives consumer real estate decision making and unquestionably speaks to the undeniable connection between real estate values and the promoted and perceived value of the neighborhoods, towns or cities where such real estate resides.

Home sellers are well aware that their homes location is a vital component that each buyer or investor factors into their highly thoughtful and strategic decision regarding the real or perceived value of the related community or town. Accepting this important relationship between the perceived value of a town and property values, calls into question, Whos job is it to formally and, with targeted and customizable off and online resources, market each specific town?

Dalton believes that the answer is, …that community-centric Real Estate professionals should assume such duties. Naturally, it is those Real Estate professionals who market themselves and their properties and are noted for serving their communities. Until now however, these professionals are mostly recognized for marketing specific properties or promoting themselves, which is separate from the promotional needs of the town. In effect, Real Estate professionals are advocating for the towns where they work…but not to the degree that commands community-wide appreciation and respect. Town residents are neither aware of this fact, nor view these professionals as their specific Real Estate Town Advocate.”

If ever marketing should be elevated by integrating or combining personal, property, and community-based marketing, it is now…due to the range, reach and influence of the web, observed Vecchio.

Vecchio further explained, As a way of seizing this robust opportunity, RETAs through HomesInYourTown.com and HomesIn.com will be providing select and civic-minded, community-centric agents, teams and brokerages with both the opportunity and years-in-the-making resources necessary to become the unequivocal, trusted real estate voice throughout towns of all sizes throughout North America.

Given the order of magnitude and consumer relevance of this concept and program, I have asked Allan Dalton, former CEO of Realtor.com and Co-Founder of RETA, to lead our network, Vecchio stated.

Dalton, named by NAR Realtor

Former Hogan Lovells Global Tax Practice Leader Joins Ernst & Young LLP

Monday, July 22nd, 2013

Washington, DC (PRWEB) July 15, 2013

Ernst & Young LLP announced today that Cristina Arumi has joined its National Tax practice as a principal in the Real Estate group and will focus on transactions. Arumi joins Ernst & Young LLP from the law firm of Hogan Lovells, where she was the leader of its Global Tax practice.

At Hogan Lovells, Arumi led the firms efforts on many of its largest public and private real estate deals. She worked with clients in numerous industries on transactions involving mergers and acquisitions, initial public offerings, roll-up transactions, joint ventures, development projects, and public debt and equity offerings.

Arumi also advised real estate companies and REITs on REIT conversions, the formation of UPREITs, operational partnership unit deals, tax protection agreements, downREIT transactions and ongoing operational matters. In her global capacity, she advised non-US clients on the US tax implications of investments and operations in the US with a particular focus on FIRPTA, and advised both US and non-US clients on US tax implications of cross-border transactions.

“Im incredibly excited to welcome Cristina to the firm,” says Kate Barton, Americas Vice Chair of Tax Services for the global EY organization. “Cristina is widely recognized as a top practitioner with a strong national reputation. She is an outstanding addition to our team.”

Global Real Estate Leader Howard Roth adds, “Cristinas background and experience will allow her to provide our clients leading, cutting edge solutions to their largest and most complex REIT and real estate transactions. We are very excited to have her joining our national real estate tax practice.”

“Im thrilled to be joining EY because of its people, its reputation in the marketplace and its exceptional roster of clients,” explains Arumi.

Arumi received her B.A. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, her J.D. from Duke University School of Law, and her LL.M. from Georgetown University Law Center. She is a member of the Tax Section of the American Bar Association and a member of the Government Relations Committee, National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts.

About EY

EY is a global leader in assurance, tax, transaction and advisory services. The insights and quality services we deliver help build trust and confidence in the capital markets and in economies the world over. We develop outstanding leaders who team to deliver on our promises to all of our stakeholders. In so doing, we play a critical role in building a better working world for our people, for our clients and for our communities.

EY refers to the global organization, and may refer to one or more, of the member firms of Ernst & Young Global Limited, each of which is a separate legal entity. Ernst & Young Global Limited, a UK company limited by guarantee, does not provide services to clients. For more information about our organization, please visit ey.com.

This news release has been issued by Ernst & Young LLP, member firm of EY serving clients in the US.

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