Man Who Tricked Emory University Into Paying for Fake Migos Concert Faces Charges
26-year-old Octaveon Woods has been arraigned by federal officials for falsely claiming to represent musicians and entertainers, and collecting thousands of dollars for events that never took place. Both Emory University and the University of Missouri fell victim to the scheme.
A U.S. District Court in Georgia handed down five counts of wire fraud and six counts of money laundering.
The Emory Wheel reports that the school paid $37,500 to and organization Woods fronted for a Migos concert last spring. Shortly before the show was to take place, the university realized it had fallen victim to a scam and scrambled to book Ty Dolla Sign as a last-minute replacement.
.@Migos dominating the music scene.https://t.co/x7srOQinrZ
— HYPEBEAST (@HYPEBEAST) February 17, 2018
According to the indictment, Woods claimed “he was a booking agent for famous musicians such as Migos, Lil Yachty, and Lil Uzi Vert.”
“Woods allegedly convinced others to pay him thousands of dollars to ‘book’ these artists for concerts and festivals—when he had no relationship with the artists at all,” said U.S. Attorney Byung J. “BJay” Pak. “Woods immediately laundered the money to try and conceal his fraud.”
Much of the $66,250 Woods fraudulently collected came from Emory.
Woods pleaded not guilty to all charges and posted a $10,000 bond earlier this week. His fate will decided at a trial later this year. If found guilty, he could face up to 20 years in prison and substantial fines.
