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US Booking Agency targeted in fraud scam
March17
A Nashville man accused of defrauding a St. Louis talent booking agency out of $270,000 by making f
A Nashville man accused of defrauding a St. Louis talent booking agency out of $270,000 by making false claims about securing a concert appearance for a national recording artist is now behind bars.
Joshua Adam Eldridge, 37, was indicted in federal court on February 26 on one count of wire fraud. Authorities arrested Eldridge last week, according to a statement from the U.S. Department of Justice.
The indictment alleges that Eldridge targeted the booking agency in March and April 2024, falsely claiming he had an existing relationship with a well-known artist and was negotiating a deal for her to perform in Detroit. To support his claims, Eldridge allegedly provided the agency with fabricated text message screenshots appearing to be conversations with the artist’s creative director.
Believing the deal to be legitimate, a victim associated with the agency wired $270,000 to Eldridge. However, authorities say Eldridge did not use the funds to secure the concert performance. Instead, he allegedly spent the money on personal expenses, including airline tickets, clothing, and accessories.
When confronted about the artist and an unrelated concert scheduled in Detroit for the same time period, Eldridge reportedly assured the victim that the deposit would be refunded. Authorities say he further attempted to deceive the agency by providing a fake refund agreement.
The U.S. Department of Justice has not disclosed the name of the booking agency or the artist involved.
If convicted, Eldridge faces up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.
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