A man has been taken into custody in Nashville, accused of orchestrating a fraudulent scheme that allegedly resulted in the acquisition of $270,000 from a talent booking agency based in St. Louis, Missouri. The indictment against him claims he used false information about a concert appearance by a well-known recording artist.
Joshua Adam Eldridge, aged 37, was indicted on February 26 by the U.S. District Court in St. Louis on charges of wire fraud. According to the indictment, Eldridge allegedly began making false claims in March and April of 2024. He purportedly claimed to have an existing relationship with the artist and was negotiating her performance at the Afro Nation Detroit 2024 concert. The indictment states that Eldridge sent fake screenshots of text messages with the artist’s creative director to the booking agency.
The indictment further alleges that although Eldridge attempted to contact the artist through a third party, his offer was declined. Despite this, after receiving $270,000 wired for the artist's performance, Eldridge reportedly used these funds for personal expenses such as airline tickets and clothing.
When questioned by the victim about another planned concert by the same artist in Detroit during that month, Eldridge is said to have promised a refund of the deposit. He allegedly supported this claim with a fabricated refund agreement involving himself and the artist’s creative director.
Wire fraud carries potential penalties including up to 20 years imprisonment and fines up to $250,000 or both.
It is important to note that an indictment is only an accusation and does not serve as proof of guilt. Defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in court.
The FBI conducted an investigation into this case while Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle Bateman is responsible for prosecuting it.
