Man Arrested, Accused of $270,000 Fraud Involving False Concert Claims

ST. LOUIS – A man was arrested Tuesday in Nashville on an indictment that accuses him of fraudulently obtaining $270,000 from a talent booking agency in St. Louis, Missouri with false claims about a concert appearance by a national recording artist.

Joshua Adam Eldridge, 37, was indicted February 26 in U.S. District Court in St. Louis on one count of wire fraud. The indictment says that in March and April of 2024, Eldridge made a series of claims, starting with a false claim that he had an existing relationship with the artist and was talking to her about performing at the Afro Nation Detroit 2024 concert. Eldridge sent the booking agency fake screenshots of texts with the artist’s creative director, the indictment says. Although Eldridge did make a request to the artist through a third party, the offer was rejected, the indictment says. After the victim wired $270,000 for the artist to Eldridge, he used the money for living expenses, including airline tickets, clothing and accessories, the indictment says.

When the victim confronted Eldridge about a planned concert by the artist the same month in Detroit, Eldridge promised a return of the deposit, bolstering the false claim with a fabricated refund agreement between Eldridge and the artist’s creative director, the indictment says.

Wire fraud is punishable by up to 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine or both.

A charge set forth in an indictment is merely an accusation and does not constitute proof of guilt.  Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty.

The FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle Bateman is prosecuting the case.