Women arrested for fraud after promising to book Justin Timberlake & Bruno Mars for charity concert
ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty ImagesTwo women were arrested Wednesday on fraud charges, after claiming that they could secure the likes of Justin Timberlake, Bruno Mars, Lady Gaga and Ed Sheeran for a benefit concert to raise money for the Sandy Hook Promise Foundation, which works to protect kids from gun violence.
The charity asked Nancy Jean and Carissa Scott to book top talent for the concert, which it planned to hold at the Alamodome in San Antonio, TX. The two women drew up a $500,000 contract and promised an appearance by Justin Timberlake. A subsequent $600,000 contract was drawn up to secure an appearance by Bruno Mars, and the women also claimed they could book Lady Gaga and Usher.
But Jean and Scott didn’t represent any of those artists. The FBI says they posed as booking agents to swindle investors, and used the initial $100,000 deposit they were given for personal expenses.
The investor who put up the money became suspicious when JT’s socials didn’t list the concert. In response, someone claiming to be Timberlake’s manager assured the investor the star would perform — but only for an additional fee.
An FBI undercover then stepped in to pose as a different investor in the concert. According to the criminal complaint, Scott told him “she could arrange for other top-tier artists to perform at the concert, including Drake, Flo Rida and Ed Sheeran.”
The FBI then contacted the actual representatives of the musicians who, according to the complaint, said they did not know either woman.
“It’s discouraging to think these defendants were willing to defraud an investor supporting a charity foundation,” the FBI’s Bill Sweeney said.
Jean and Scott were arrested Wednesday at New York City’s JFK Airport and were due for an initial appearance Thursday in Brooklyn federal court.
Copyright © 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.
