BNR – An NYC court has ordered the imposition of several limitations on the British tycoon Joe Lewis after fraud charges. The order comes as the businessman is set to face trial on insider trade charges.

Lewis, an 86-year-old man, pleaded innocent, consequently getting a bail of $300 million. However, the court judge withdrew the businessman’s passport and restricted him from boarding and using his luxury yacht.

The billionaire businessman is banned from travelling outside the UK, including travelling to Beachfront Hotel Bahamas. It is reported that Lewis partly owns the resort, alongside Tiger Woods and Justin Timberlake.

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The businessman’s family are the owners of the Tottenham Hotspur football club. Lewis can still rely on his private jet for business-related travel within the borders of limited regional travelling.

In the court hearing on Wednesday, Judge Valerie Figueredo indicated the bail bond for the billionaire. The bail is guaranteed by the Aviva Yacht and a private jet.

The businessman received 16 charges of fraud and 3 charges of conspiracy in multiple crimes. The crimes have, allegedly, happened in the years between 2013 and 2021, according to the indictment document.

Lewis’s attorneys, who have a net worth of more than $6.4bln, said the charges are an “egregious error”.

They added that the allegations are “ill-conceived” and that they will defend their client with all their powers.

The city’s prosecutors said the billionaire has planned a scheme that made his friends rich, including two pilots. The pilots, Patrick O’Connor and Bryan Waugh, are also being tried. However, they also pleaded innocent to the same charges.

O’Connor from New York and Waugh from Virginia are facing accusations of unlawfully making millions from the tips Lewis provided. Their bail was set at a quarter of a million dollars each.