A Georgia promoter simply discovered the laborious method that forging Hip-Hop artist contracts comes with an enormous price ticket.
Federal Decide John Adams ordered Louis Givens and his firm, Shaw Administration Enterprises, to pay $874,921 to Youngstown-based Esmail Leisure, in response to WKBN. The ruling got here after Givens failed to answer the lawsuit filed towards him.
The case began in August 2025 when Esmail Leisure sued Givens for fraud. The corporate focuses on reserving live shows throughout Northeast Ohio and trusted Givens to safe main Hip-Hop expertise for a September present at Cleveland’s Wolstein Heart.
Givens offered contracts that seemed professional for 3 main artists. The paperwork confirmed signatures from GloRilla, Moneybagg Yo, and Skilla Child for the Cleveland live performance.
Esmail Leisure believed the paperwork have been actual and wired $282,000 to safe the performers.
The corporate additionally paid a $10,000 deposit to the Wolstein Heart and began promoting tickets to followers wanting to see the lineup. Every little thing appeared professional till Givens made further monetary requests that raised crimson flags.
Esmail Leisure determined to confirm the bookings immediately with GloRilla’s manufacturing crew. That telephone name modified the whole lot.
GloRilla’s representatives confirmed she by no means signed any contract for the Cleveland present. Her crew was truly getting ready a cease-and-desist letter towards Givens.
He claimed he hoped to guide the true artists earlier than anybody found his deception.
Givens solely returned $20,000 of the $282,000 he obtained. The remaining funds disappeared, forcing Esmail Leisure to cancel the whole live performance and refund each ticket holder.
The cancellation value the corporate an estimated $2.5 million in potential gross sales. Followers who purchased tickets anticipating to see GloRilla, Skilla Child, and Moneybagg Yo obtained full refunds as a substitute of the present they anticipated.
The federal court docket famous that Givens and Shaw Administration obtained the lawsuit through licensed mail in September however by no means filed any response. This resulted in a default judgment, which happens when defendants fail to take part in authorized proceedings.
Underneath the ruling, each Givens and Shaw Administration Enterprises are collectively accountable for the complete $874,921 quantity. The three Hip-Hop artists weren’t named as defendants since that they had no involvement within the fraudulent scheme.
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