Justin Bieber is currently in the spotlight after it was revealed that an American man was using his name to scam multiple individuals with promises of musical performances. This man wasn’t targeting only Bieber; he also impersonated Billie Eilish and Post Malone.
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, the individual posing as the Canadian singer and his colleagues is named Terronce Morris. At 42 years old, Morris is based in Missouri, Texas, and has been sentenced to nearly five years in prison for orchestrating a fraudulent scheme with an accomplice. This scheme involved creating fake music concerts featuring famous artists.
This case isn’t new, as it surfaced earlier in 2024 when Morris pleaded guilty in February to charges of conspiracy to commit postal and electronic fraud, as well as aggravated identity theft.
Meanwhile, his partner, 37-year-old Blake Kelly, also pleaded guilty in January to similar charges of fraud and aggravated identity theft for forging and utilizing Justin Bieber’s signature on fake concert contracts.
NBC News reported that both men fabricated contracts with forged signatures of the “Baby” singer, Billie Eilish, and Post Malone, claiming they would perform at a music festival. Court documents indicate that this scam took place between December 2019 and March 2020, during which Morris and Kelly fraudulently obtained around $1.3 million from a victim.
Among their tactics, the scammers created fake email accounts pretending to be the artists themselves. They were responsible for producing these fraudulent documents.
Furthermore, during a video call with the victim, Morris and Kelly arranged for an accomplice to pretend to be Bieber, tricking the victim into believing that the artist had agreed to perform in a series of concerts.
Following this scheme, in October 2020, Morris used more forged contracts to defraud another victim, this time stealing $500,000. Based on these contracts, someone sent Morris a check for $250,000 for a planned performance.
From May 2021 to December 2023, Morris stole an additional $850,000 from two more victims. The Department of Justice reported that Morris and Kelly used the money they obtained fraudulently to indulge in a luxurious lifestyle, which included traveling, buying luxury items, paying for extravagant services, and dining at upscale restaurants.
Source: https://lavibra.com/2024/07/23/nombre-de-justin-bieber-involucrado-en-una-estafa-millonaria/
