Concert con men who lied about Justin Bieber and Billie Eilish will face the music
They forged the signatures of Justin Bieber, Billie Eilish and Post Malone. They fabricated contracts purportedly featuring the mega-pop stars at a music festival. And they stole more than $1 million from a concert producer.
Now, after cutting plea deals in Miami federal court, Terronce Morris and Blake Kelly will face the music.
Morris, who pretended to be a Texas music producer, pleaded guilty Tuesday to wire-fraud conspiracy and identity theft in Miami federal court. His partner, Kelly, who’s actually in the L.A. music business, pleaded guilty to the same charges last month.
Both men face more than 20 years in prison at sentencings before U.S. District Judge Rodolfo Ruiz this spring.
The sordid saga began in late 2019 when both men were introduced to a northeastern concert promoter who specialized in producing music festivals in large venues, according to factual statements filed with both defendants’ plea agreements.
In emails, text messages and phone calls, Morris claimed he had extensive experience signing up bigtime performers, including Bieber. In those communications, Kelly also claimed he was “intimate friends” with Bieber.
Kelly assured the promoter that he and Morris could secure Bieber “to headline and perform at a live muwith sical concert series in 2020.” And the duped concert promoter turned over more than $1 million to the two con men for a purported music festival in San Antonio, Texas, according to a June 2023 indictment.
It was just the beginning of a litany of lies, according to federal prosecutor Roger Cruz.
A MIAMI CONNECTION
The two defendants from out of state were charged in Miami federal court because many of their electronic communications about exploiting Bieber and the two other performers transpired while the northeastern concert producer was visiting South Florida.
Bieber’s attorney, Michael Rhodes, with the law firm Cooley LLP, said the singer has cooperated with federal authorities in Miami.
“Mr. Bieber was saddened to learn about the circumstances alleged in the indictment that led to the guilty pleas and cooperated fully with federal law enforcement throughout the investigation,” Rhodes said in a statement. “Mr. Bieber will not be making any other public remarks about this matter.”
HOW THE SCHEME TOOK OFF
The music-festival scheme went into overdrive in late 2019 when Morris and Kelly falsely told the promoter that Bieber “had agreed to perform at the concert series and that he would also help secure other famous music recording artists to perform him at the live stadium concert series.”
Morris assured the promoter that in exchange for his providing the funds to pay Bieber and the other two singers, as well as other production costs, Morris would split all ticket, merchandise and concession profits.
Then the scheme detoured into a Hollywoodlike script: On Dec. 18,
2019, the concert promoter received a FaceTime call from Kelly and someone who pretended to be Bieber. The teleconference call was designed to help ease any concerns that the promoter had about Bieber’s commitment to the concert series in Texas.
“Kelly introduced [the promoter] to the purported [Bieber] as the investor behind the concert series,” according to Kelly’s factual statement filed with his plea deal. “The fake [Bieber] was actually an associate of Kelly who [Kelly and Morris] used to trick the [promoter] into thinking that the actual [Bieber] agreed to perform in the concert series.”
After the phony FaceTime presentation, Morris emailed the promoter a fake contract, which contained Morris’ signature and Bieber’s forged electronic signature. Bieber’s pay was supposed to be $800,000. Eilish and Malone were each supposed to make $500,000.
EFFECT ON JUSTIN BIEBER, POST MALONE, BILLIE EILISH
Bieber and the other two recording artists didn’t make or lose any money off the bogus music festival.
However, their identities and forged signatures were exploited on contracts fabricated by Morris and Kelly as they duped the promoter to send them $1,350,000 in a cashier’s check and three wire transfers in late 2019 and early 2020. The payments were meant to secure Bieber, Eilish and Malone for the concert series at the Alamodome in San Antonio.
After receiving the payments from the concert promoter, Morris transferred about $237,000 to Kelly, according to the factual statements filed with their plea deals. Kelly spent his share of the money on lodging, food and retail goods.
Morris spent about $390,000 on similar expenses and withdrew another $260,000 in cash.
IN MIAMI FEDERAL COURT
At the end of Tuesday’s plea hearing, Judge Ruiz asked Morris if all of the facts in the government’s case were true. Morris hesitated and then admitted that he was guilty.
But a moment later, Morris asked the judge if he could release him from a federal lock-up until his upcoming sentencing because a family member was having surgery.
“I’d be the perfect citizen,” Morris told the judge.
Ruiz denied his request, saying: “I have legitimate concerns.”
The judge revoked Morris’ bond last week when Cruz, the prosecutor, alleged in a court filing that after his arrest by the FBI in July 2023, he “used the same modus operandi to steal millions from other victims.”
“Morris continued his fraud scheme even after receiving several cease and desist letters from the real Justin Bieber’s attorneys in March 2020.”