AUGSTEIN
LEGAL LOSER: Hip-hop music mogul Ryan Leslie leaves federal court in Manhattan yesterday after losing a $1 million judgement. (
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Jurors taught a big-talking hip-hop artist a lesson about broken promises yesterday when they ordered him to pay the $1 million reward he had offered for the return of his stolen laptop.
Cheapskate performer and producer Ryan Leslie must fork over the Benjamins to auto-repair-shop owner Armin Augstein, who found the computer while walking his dog and turned it over to German cops in November 2010.
In a YouTube video, Leslie had promised a $1 million reward to whoever found the missing laptop and an external hard drive. But when Augstein produced the goods, Leslie went from big-money mogul to double-talking skinflint.
Augstein, who returned home to Pulheim, Germany, after testifying against Leslie in Manhattan federal court, told The Post by phone he felt “very good” about the verdict.
“I’m very happy . . . that the American judicial system, which is so totally different from ours, functioned so well with a jury that are not professionals and are laymen,” he said in German through one his lawyers, Steven Thal.
Augstein, 54, said he remained “disappointed” with Leslie — who suggested Augstein might have been involved in the theft — even though the music man was “personally very friendly” the two times they met.
“No one forced him to make an offer of so much money for a finder’s fee,” Augstein said.
“It seems like he believes that that which he promised, he doesn’t have to live up to.”
Leslie, 34, sat stone-faced as the unanimous verdict was announced after just over three hours of deliberations.
Leslie — who had earlier joked he would either “be writing checks or buying Maseratis” — insisted afterward, “I’m not disappointed” and said he would consider an appeal.
He also remained unrepentant about his refusal to honor the reward, which he initially set at $20,000, but then increased to $1 million in the YouTube video.
“The reasons I defended myself in the case are the same reasons I believe Mr. Augstein is not entitled to the reward,” Leslie said.
Leslie testified Tuesday that his offer was contingent upon his ability to retrieve several unreleased multitrack songs stored on the hard drive, which he said couldn’t be accessed after he got it back.
But Judge Harold Baer Jr. yesterday told jurors that because Leslie disposed of the hard drive by returning it to the manufacturer after Augstein claimed the reward, they could assume that the data was there when Augstein handed it over.
The verdict came about 45 minutes after jurors sent out a note saying they were divided because “we feel the $1 million is too high,” and asking if they could compromise on a lower amount.
Leslie’s lawyers then sought some time to try to strike a settlement, but Augstein’s team said “that ship has sailed” and insisted that the jury be told to continue deliberating toward an all-or-nothing decision.
None on the six women and two men on the panel would comment afterward.
Last night, Leslie seemed to accept the verdict, tweeting. “Ain’t no way to get around ups & downs.’ Jury of my peers rules for the plaintiff.”
During closing arguments, defense lawyer Bill DeStefano called Augstein’s account of finding Leslie’s belongings “fishy,” noting that the park where he walked his dog is about 15 miles from Cologne, where the theft took place.
Augstein’s lawyer, Michael Fischman, said the suggestion that Augstein was involved in the theft showed how “desperate” Leslie was to avoid paying the reward.
“Mr. Augstein doesn’t just deserve a thank-you; he deserves an apology,” Fischman said.
Augstein, who testified that learning about Leslie’s reward offer felt like winning the lottery, said yesterday that while he was eager to collect on his windfall, he wasn’t about to start spending the dough.
“As we say here in Germany, we can only eat the chicken after it’s been plucked,” he said.