Damon Dash has been summoned to federal court in Manhattan after failing to turn over key ownership documents tied to a $4 million judgment.
The judge has grown impatient and warned Dash that he could be arrested if he doesn’t comply by the end of the month.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert W. Lehrburger issued the order after Dash and his company,
Poppington LLC, missed a July 10 deadline to submit certificates proving their ownership in several businesses and copyrights.
The paperwork was required so the U.S. Marshal could sell the assets at a public auction to help satisfy the judgment. As of July 14, the court confirmed that Dash and Poppington had not complied with the order.
Lehrburger noted this was part of a “pattern of non-compliance and delay” and scheduled a hearing for July 31 at 10 A.M., where Dash must personally explain why he should not face sanctions.
If Dash fails to appear, the court may issue a warrant for his arrest and impose financial penalties. However, he can avoid the hearing altogether by submitting the required documents by July 30.
The legal battle stems from a years-long dispute with filmmaker Josh Webber over the 2019 film
“Dear Frank.”
Dash was removed from the project but later claimed ownership, prompting Webber and Muddy Water Pictures to sue for defamation and copyright infringement.
In 2022, a judge ordered Dash to pay $805,000 for failing to comply with court deadlines and refusing to participate in mediation.
The situation escalated after Dash made defamatory remarks about Webber on the
Earn Your Leisure podcast. This resulted in a $4 million default judgment in 2025.
To recover the damages, the court approved the sale of Dash’s interests in several companies, including Dash Films Inc., Bluroc LLC, Blakroc LLC, Lebanon Improvements LLC, Ocean East Improvements LLC and 1996 Songs LLC. Poppington LLC was also ordered to hand over copyright certificates for multiple films.
Webber’s legal team confirmed Dash’s attorneys had not delivered the documents.
Earlier this week,
they sent a letter to the court, requesting an arrest warrant and asking that the disputed assets be transferred to the U.S. Marshal for auction.
Dash previously sold his one-third share of Roc-A-Fella Records for a little over $1 million in December 2024, but the proceeds didn’t cover the full judgment due to outstanding obligations to the state of New York, which purchased the asset.
The court is now trying to enforce the remaining balance through asset liquidation.
The auction will be conducted by the U.S. Marshal, with any leftover funds returned to Dash after the judgment is satisfied.
