According to Cointelegraph, the crypto group PleasrDAO, which owns the only physical copy of Wu-Tang Clan’s album 'Once Upon a Time in Shaolin,' has requested a judge to mandate a more thorough search of Martin Shkreli’s possessions. The group alleges that Shkreli has not fully complied with a court order to hand over all existing copies of the album.
In a letter dated Sept. 6 to a New York federal court, PleasrDAO expressed doubts about Shkreli’s claims that he had surrendered all copies of the album. The group requested that Shkreli be ordered to conduct a deeper search and forfeit any additional copies. Shkreli had previously submitted a sworn declaration on Aug. 26, stating he found 15 files with copies of the album saved on Microsoft OneDrive after being ordered by the court to hand over all copies and confirm he had no duplicates.
Shkreli claimed he searched his devices, electronic accounts, and other personal effects, but PleasrDAO suspects he might have more copies hidden elsewhere. The group pointed out that Shkreli mentioned the possibility of additional copies in storage facilities that held his personal effects during his prison term but did not provide specifics on why he couldn’t search all facilities.
The Wu-Tang Clan album, recorded between 2007 and 2013, features at least 31 tracks across two discs, according to a track listing released by PleasrDAO in April. PleasrDAO stated that Shkreli had only attested to handing over audio files for 15 tracks but had publicly boasted about distributing copies and storing additional ones in various safes worldwide.
PleasrDAO purchased the physical album from the United States Justice Department for $4.75 million in 2021 after it was seized from Shkreli following his 2018 securities fraud conviction. The group is selling partial ownership of the record through non-fungible tokens (NFTs) and sued Shkreli in June, alleging he retained copies of the album. PleasrDAO’s lawsuit seeks a judge’s order to permanently seize Shkreli’s alleged copies and prevent him from financially exploiting the album.
Shkreli has argued that the alleged copies were made under his purchase agreement when he initially bought the album before it was forfeited to the government. He claims that these copies are not subject to forfeiture and that he retains the right to use them.
