"He built your trust, that’s how he was able to get money out of you" - Andre Agassi's sister Tami laments being 'screwed' by her convict ex-husband
Andre Agassi's sister Tami has opened up about how her ex-husband Lobsang Dargey managed to secure investors for his allegedly fraudulent ventures, which eventually resulted in his imprisonment. Tami Agassi wed the Tibetan refugee in 2004 but filed for divorce in 2020, after Dargey himself urged her to protect her financial security.
In 2017 Lobsang Dargey was convicted of wire fraud and concealing material information from federal authorities, and he spent three years in federal prison after a guilty plea. Despite Dargey's apparent attempt to protect her from the fallout, Tami Agassi has been slapped with a $2.7 million lawsuit by the hotel group IHG for co-signing a guarantee on a luxury hotel project in Seattle, which fell through amid Dargey's legal troubles.
In addition to owing $24 million to foreign investors in court-ordered restitution, Lobsang Dargey also received substantial funds from the Agassi family to invest in his real estate ventures. However, according to Tami, her parents only received one payment from their investment in Dargey's business over 18 years.
In a recent interview with the New York Post, Andre Agassi's sister said that Dargey cleverly "ingratiated" himself with their father. Although eight-time Grand Slam champion Andre Agassi seemingly saw through Dargey, their father Emmanuel "Mike" Agassi came to love and respect Tami's ex-husband.
"He ingratiated himself with me but also more importantly with my dad, who was a very strong figure in my life. My dad loved him dearly, respected him immensely," Andre Agassi's sister said.
Tami added that Dargey's modus operandi was to gain someone's trust to secure an investment without ever disclosing how the funds were being used. The 55-year-old said her ex-husband "screwed" her over, since she never saw any of the money he misappropriated from investors.
"That’s what he did. He built your trust, that’s how he was able to get money out of you to invest. But then he kept quiet on what was actually being done with the money," Tami said.
"This isn’t money that ever hit my bank account. I did not live large. He screwed me," she added.
Andre Agassi's sister Tami on her ex-husband Lobsang Dargey: "I have to work really hard to let my kids know this is not normal, this is not what a dad is"
Andre Agassi's sister Tami has three children with her ex-husband Lobsang Dargey - a 16-year-old daughter and 9-year-old twins, a boy and a girl. During the same interview, the 55-year-old said Dargey had married another woman shortly after being released from prison, without informing their children.
Tami added that Dargey had introduced his new wife to their kids as a "secret second mom," leaving her to clarify this was not "normal" behavior for a father.
"Not only did he not invite the children to the wedding, he didn’t tell his children he was married. Then he introduced them to a stranger as [a] secret second mom. I have to work really hard to let my kids know this is not normal. This is not what a dad is. I have to make sure they know that," Andre Agassi's sister said.
On top of the $2.7 million lawsuit, Tami Agassi is also facing a $3 million tax bill on unrealized gains, which will likely result in her losing her house. Nevertheless, the 55-year-old emphasized that she doesn't intend to seek financial help from her brother Andre Agassi.