A man has been arrested in Nashville on charges of wire fraud involving a talent booking agency in St. Louis, Missouri. The indictment accuses Joshua Adam Eldridge, 37, of obtaining $270,000 through false claims about a concert appearance by a national recording artist.
Eldridge was indicted on February 26 in U.S. District Court in St. Louis. According to the indictment, he made several fraudulent claims between March and April 2024. He falsely asserted that he had an existing relationship with the artist and was negotiating her performance at the Afro Nation Detroit 2024 concert. Eldridge allegedly sent fake screenshots of text messages with the artist’s creative director to support his claims.
The indictment states that although Eldridge did contact the artist through a third party, his offer was rejected. Despite this, he received $270,000 from the victim for the artist's performance and used it for personal expenses such as airline tickets and clothing.
When questioned by the victim about another planned concert by the artist in Detroit during the same month, Eldridge reportedly promised to return the deposit. He further supported his claim with a fabricated refund agreement involving himself and the artist’s creative director.
Wire fraud carries a potential penalty of up to 20 years in prison and a fine of $250,000 or both.
It is important to note that an indictment is merely an accusation and does not prove guilt. Every defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
The FBI conducted the investigation into this case, while Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle Bateman is handling its prosecution.