A heated altercation broke out in a New York City jewelry store, sparked by accusations of deceit and impersonation between business rivals. This dramatic confrontation unfolded in the bustling Diamond District on a Friday afternoon, where two jewelry enterprises, TraxNYC and Akay Diamonds, share a commercial space.
The dispute centers around Maksud Agadjani, the 39-year-old owner of TraxNYC, who took to social media by releasing a series of videos. In these clips, he confronts one of the Akay brothers, proprietors of AKAY Diamonds, accusing them of masquerading under his business’s prestigious name to deceive customers.
George Akay, aged 46, alongside his brother Freddy, 42, both hailing from New Jersey, now face assault charges according to police reports. The tension in the video is palpable as Agadjani vehemently confronts a representative of the rival store. He alleges that the Akay brothers have been fraudulently using his brand’s reputation to offload substandard gold jewelry, claiming it to be of TraxNYC’s high quality.
The footage captures Agadjani’s intense verbal assault, where he lashes out at the competitor, accusing them of name theft and customer deception. The incident has shed light on the fierce competition and high stakes within Manhattan’s renowned Diamond District.
In the footage, Agadjani alleges the Akay’s falsely used his company’s name to sell customers gold jewelry that was being misrepresented in quality.
The videos posted to Agadjani’s 3.5 million followers quickly circulated online, drawing attention to the cutthroat world of New York’s jewelry trade.
In the video, Agadjani storms up to the worker and unleashes a furious verbal attack, accusing the rival of stealing his name, misleading customers, and selling inferior gold while claiming it matched TraxNYC’s standards.
‘Where’s my money?’ Agadjani shouted in the video. ‘Motherf******, you said VVS 14 [karat], and you’re using my name, you b****! You f***ing thief!’
The footage shows Agadjani yelling at both the employee and nearby security staff as he alleges fraud in broad daylight.
A heated showdown inside New York City’s Diamond District has gone viral after a jeweler accused a rival of impersonation and fraud
The confrontation inside the shared space TraxNYC and Akay Diamonds share escalated into violence with security personnel called after jeweler Maksud Agadjani exploded at his rival, one of owner brothers of AKAY Diamonds
Maksud Agadjani, 39, of TraxNYC jewelry is seen, left. George Akay, 46, of the Akay brothers from Akay Diamonds is pictured, right
In a follow-up video, Agadjani offers some additional context, holding up what he described as a receipt from the rival company.
‘This is the receipt of this disgusting company,’ he said, dangling the paper in front of the camera. ‘They sold my customer their bracelet and ripped him off.’
Agadjani explains how the customer had gone looking for jewelry from TraxNYC, but an employee at AKAY Diamonds allegedly told him the pieces were the same quality.
Agadjani claimed he later tested the bracelet and discovered it was 10-karat gold – not the 14-karat gold the customer believed he had purchased.
‘This is the receipt of this disgusting company that pretends to be me,’ Agadjani said in the video.
‘They sold my customer their bracelet and ripped him off and ripped him off on the gold. These rats have done this over and over again, and I tolerated it,’ Agadjani said in another clip posted online.
The situation escalated further when Agadjani filmed himself apparently securing a refund for the customer, along with an additional $1,000 in cash while continuing to verbally berate the rival business.
‘Stop being greedy pieces of f***ing lying s***,’ he said in the video. ‘Keep f***ing scheming bro.’
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How should businesses and customers deal with scams and impersonation in cutthroat industries like jewelry?
Surveillance footage captured the scuffle between the two owners of the jewelry shops
The scuffle saw bother Akay brothers charged with assault and Agadjani taken to hospital
Agadjani, left, was furious as he alleged the rival jeweler used his company’s name to sell inferior gold as a higher-quality product
Agadjani later pointed to visible pink marks on his neck, which he claimed were caused when employees attempted to pull or choke him with his chain during the confrontation
Agadjani later alleged that employees from AKAY Diamonds physically attacked him after he exposed the alleged scam. The TraxNYC owner was taken to Bellevue Hospital.
‘They tried to strangle me with my own chain because I exposed what they did,’ he said, showing visible pink marks on his neck where the jewelry had pressed against his skin.
The rival business has not publicly responded to Agadjani’s claims. The Daily Mail has reached out for comment.
The confrontation adds to Agadjani’s history of public disputes and legal drama.
In 2024, he was sued by 50 Cent, who accused the jeweler of violating his right to publicity and committing trademark infringement.
The lawsuit stemmed from Agadjani promoting a chain on social media that closely resembled a custom piece owned by the rapper.
After seeing the post, 50 Cent responded publicly, warning the jeweler, ‘This was a bad idea. You will regret doing this I promise.’
The rapper later doubled down, writing in another post, ‘This fool took my custom piece, copied it, then posted this 7 hours ago using my likeness to sell them. He must don’t know how this works, if he talks to a lawyer they would tell him this is not good.’
Last May, the seven-figure lawsuit against Agadjani after the jewler made a public apology expressing regret for his unauthorized use of 50’s name and likeness in social media posts
Last May, the seven-figure lawsuit against Agadjani after the jewler made a public apology expressing regret for his unauthorized use of 50’s name and likeness in social media posts.
‘I’m writing to express my sincere and heartfelt apology,’ the note began.
‘I acknowledge that I used your name, image, and other intellectual property rights to advertise, market, and sell my jewelry products without your permission. To be clear, I do not have and never had any affiliation with you or endorsement by you.’
Agadjani said he also removed all 50 Cent-related content from all his social media platforms and promised not to use the 50 Cent brand to promote his business.
‘I respect you, your rights, and your brand, and I deeply regret my poor judgment and take full responsibility for my actions,’ the statement continued.
‘I hope that you and your fans can accept my sincere apology and forgive me.’
