Two men face up to 20 years in prison each for their involvement in a fraudulent music festival scheme, according to a news release issued by the United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida.
Terronce Morris and Blake Kelly of Missouri City, Texas, pleaded guilty to aggravated identity theft and conspiracy to commit mail fraud and wire fraud after hosting a fake music festival before collecting $1.35 million from the victim with the pretext that they would produce it. The couple claimed the festival would feature a handful of high-profile artists, including those with the initials JB, PM and BE.
Morris and Kelly presented the victim with false contracts containing forged signatures of the musicians, according to court documents. They also had an accomplice join a video call and pose as “JB” to convince the victim that the artist had agreed to perform at the fictional music festival. The funds were sent via three wire transfers and a check addressed to JB, which Morris deposited into his personal account.
Morris and Kelly then used the money to “enrich themselves and finance a lavish lifestyle for themselves and their accomplices, which included traveling, purchasing luxury goods, paying for lavish services, and dining at expensive restaurants.”
FBI Miami investigated the case against Morris and Kelly, according to the news release. The sentencing of the former is scheduled for May 2 and the sentencing of the latter is scheduled for March 28. The men face up to 20 years in prison plus an additional two years on the identity theft charge.
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