Man accused of $270k booking agency scam

A 37-year-old man has been charged with swindling a St Louis talent agency out of US$270,000 (€248,000) over a fake festival booking.

Joshua Adam Eldridge was arrested in Nashville last week, having been indicted in the US District Court in St Louis, Missouri on one count of wire fraud.

He is accused of fraudulently obtaining $270,000 from a talent booking agency in St. Louis, Missouri with false claims about a concert appearance by a “national recording artist”.

It is alleged that Eldridge made a series of claims in March and April of 2024, including that he had an existing relationship with the act and was talking to her about performing at that year’s Afro Nation Detroit festival. Eldridge also allegedly sent the booking agency fake screenshots of texts with the artist’s creative director.

The indictment says that while Eldridge did make a request to the artist through a third party, the offer was rejected.

After the victim wired $270,000 for the artist to Eldridge, he is alleged to have used the money for living expenses

After the complainant wired $270,000 for the artist to Eldridge, he is alleged to have used the money for living expenses, including airline tickets, clothing and accessories.

When the alleged victim confronted Eldridge about a planned concert by the act the same month in Detroit, Eldridge is said to have promised to return the deposit, complete with a “fabricated refund agreement” between Eldridge and the artist’s creative director, the indictment says.

The FBI investigated the case, which is being prosecuted by assistant US Attorney Kyle Bateman.

The US Department of Justice has not disclosed the name of the booking agency or artist involved.

Afro Nation Detroit 2024 was held over two days last August, featuring the likes of Rema, Lil Wayne, Asake and PartyNextDoor.

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