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Our lead story takes a closer look at the questionable business practices of a Philly real estate influencer.
— Taylor Allen (@TayImanAllen, morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)
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Real estate influencers Greg Parker Jr and his wife, Danielle “Nikki” Morris Parker, share a lavish lifestyle online. Greg, who goes by Big Bizzneesss on Instagram, has over 285,000 followers.
The duo share a rags-to-riches story of building an empire and encourage their 285,000 Instagram followers to do the same — for a price.
They promote investment seminars with tickets as low as $97 but then offer a range of upsells: a VIP pass for $297; one-on-one mentorship for $5,000 or more; and the chance to invest in Greg Parker’s handpicked properties at “rock bottom” prices.
Over the past two years, a growing number of their aspiring real estate investors have filed federal lawsuits in Philadelphia alleging that it’s a scam.
The RICO lawsuits accuse the couple and their companies of taking thousands of dollars from clients for mentoring that never happened and property sales that never went through. And if the sales did materialize, the properties were condemned or burdened with unpaid liens without the investors’ knowledge. Several plaintiffs allege they were conned into giving thousands of dollars to Parker for properties he didn’t own.
Continue reading about the breadth of their alleged scam that spans multiple cities and states.
What you should know today
Philadelphia’s Republican Party appealed a judge’s ruling that kept City Councilmember Kendra Brooks and her Working Families Party running mate, Nicolas O’Rourke, on November’s ballot.
The takeaway: The stakes are high as the progressive Working Families Party attempts to oust Republicans from at-large Council seats that have historically been GOP seats.
This move comes after Philadelphia Common Pleas Judge Joshua Roberts rejected a Republican request to remove Brooks and O’Rourke because they filed statements of financial interests electronically instead of submitting hard copies.
Reminder: For seven decades, Democrats held five at-large seats on Council while Republicans had two. Brooks disrupted that in 2019 when she won her seat.
Keep reading to learn about the Republican Party’s argument for the appeal.
🧠 Trivia time 🧠
What year did Citizens Bank Park open?
A) 2004
B) 2000
C) 1998
D) 2010
Think you know? Check your answer.
What we’re...
💭 Wondering: How you decide when and when not to tip. If you’re not sure, we have a tipping guide with insights from people working in the service industry.
👀 Watching: A former fundraiser for U.S. Rep. George Santos allegedly impersonated a congressional aide while soliciting contributions for the lawmaker’s campaign.
🧩 Unscramble the anagram 🧩
Hint: Home to the Ryan Observatory
DRANK YUP DRUM
Email us if you know the answer. We’ll select a reader at random to shout out here. Cheers to Elise Pizzi, who correctly guessed Wednesday’s answer: Franklin Institute.
Photo of the day
That’s it from me. Have a good Thursday! Thank you for waking up with The Inquirer.
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