Two US men charged with fraud for alleged Lady Gaga and Rihanna concert scams

Sylvester Vincent Carroll and Meceo McEaddy accused of making $2million from hoax gigs

Two men in the US have been charged with fraud after they allegedly swindled events promoters out of $2million (£1.3million) by promoting fake Lady Gaga and Rihanna concerts.

Le High Valley Live reports that Sylvester Vincent Carroll, 47, and Meceo McEaddy, 38, face various charges after they were accused of pretending to be representatives for the likes of Gaga and Rihanna, despite having no connection with the artists, and promising event organisers that their bashes would be attended by A-list pop stars.

Authorities claimed their scheme began in June 2010, when they promised a Brazilian production company they would book Rihanna for a gig in Rio de Janeiro. According to court records, Carroll pretended to be the singer’s booking agent and he and McEaddy received $825,000 (£540,440) for the non-existant performance. The company only discovered they had been hoodwinked after receiving a cease-and-desist order from Rihanna’s actual representatives.

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The pair are also accused of enacting a similar plan in 2012, when they are alleged to have collected a $650,000 (£425,800) advance deposit from a Mexican party organiser for a private event. Carroll was also reportedly charged with a similar scam in which he failed to fulfil a promise to book Ke$ha for shows in Taiwan and New York, and stole $45,000 (£29,480) in deposit fees.

Both Carroll and McEaddy have been charged with scheming to defraud in the first degree and grand larceny, with Carroll also facing charges relating to criminal tax fraud. Speaking about the case, Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus R Vance Jr said: “These defendants are charged with selling concert promoters around the world a false bill of goods.

“Rihanna’s ‘Please Don’t Stop the Music’ could be an anthem for the legions of disappointed fans who heard about her concert in Brazil, only to learn that it had to be canceled before tickets even went on sale.”

He added: “The defendants capitalized on the popularity of three of the most famous pop stars in the world to steal more than $2million from event promoters. My office will continue to root out and prosecute those who abuse their victims’ trust for their own profit.”

Lady Gaga is set to release her new album ‘ARTPOP’ as part of an app this November, while Rihanna made the headlines today after footage emerged of her being pelted with crisps onstage in Manchester earlier this week (July 16).

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