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Zach Witkoff, the co-founder and CEO of the Trump family’s cryptocurrency venture, was arrested four years ago on a cocaine charge that has since been dropped, according to a new report and court records.
Witkoff is the CEO of World Liberty Financial, a cryptocurrency venture he co-founded with members of President Donald Trump’s family, including Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump. He is also the son of Steve Witkoff, Trump’s special envoy to the Middle East.
The Newsground has obtained body camera footage of Zach Witkoff’s arrest on New Year’s Day 2022 at the Miami nightclub E11even. Witkoff was handcuffed and repeatedly told officers he did “nothing wrong,” the footage shows. Eventually, no charges were filed in the case.
At one point, Witkoff appeared to tell a security guard: “I’m friends with Marc Roberts, I swear to God.”
“Nobody cares, nobody cares. You understand that, right? Nobody cares. Stop dropping names,” the security guard said. Marc Roberts is a well-known real estate developer in Florida.
open image in gallery Zach Witkoff was told to ‘stop dropping names’ during his 2022 arrest in Florida, according to body camera footage obtained by The Newsground ( Miami Police Department )
“I did nothing though,” Witkoff replied.
He was also ordered to “relax” and “stop tensing up” during his detainment.
“We’re the police, all right? So, you need to listen to us. We're trying to talk to you,” an officer said.
The arresting officer said he found a “clear plastic bag containing suspected powder cocaine” in Witkoff’s pocket during the incident, according to an arrest affidavit reviewed by The Independent.
Witkoff was arrested on charges of cocaine possession, resisting arrest and disorderly conduct, according to public court records. It appears prosecutors did not pursue those charges, and the case was dropped.
open image in gallery Zach Witkoff was detained outside a nightclub in Miami, according to body camera footage obtained by The Newsground ( Miami Police Department )
When reached for comment, a public information officer for the Miami Police Department provided Witkoff’s arrest affidavit and confirmed the body camera footage was taken at the same time, date and location listed on the affidavit.
Witkoff told The Independent he was “deeply embarrassed” by the arrest.
“This incident occurred during a difficult period in my life, and while there were no charges, I’m deeply embarrassed by it. It was an isolated mistake that does not reflect who I am or how I live my life today,” he said.
“Not long after, I got married and started a family—something that changed everything for me. Since then, I’ve lived a disciplined lifestyle with my focus on my family and my responsibilities. I’m grateful to my wife and family for their unwavering support,” he added.
World Liberty Financial is currently facing a lawsuit from billionaire Justin Sun, who has claimed his multi-million dollar investment was secured through fraud and that the cryptocurrency venture is “on the verge of collapse.”
Sun said he remains an “ardent supporter of President Trump and his Administration’s efforts to make America crypto friendly,” and that his lawsuit does not change how he feels about the president, according to an X post he shared Tuesday.
Witkoff responded with his own social media post calling the lawsuit a “desperate attempt to deflect attention from Sun’s own misconduct.”
“His claims are entirely meritless, and World Liberty looks forward to getting the case thrown out promptly,” he added.