Texas man who claimed to be concert promoter for Beyoncé, other artists charged with fraud

A man who claimed to be a concert promoter for music artists such as Beyoncé and Nicki Minaj has been charged with fraud, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton said Thursday.

Carlos Desean Goodspeed, 43, who operated under the assumed business name “Straight Like That Entertainment,” was indicted Tuesday on three counts of wire fraud.

He was arrested without incident Wednesday at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport and made his first appearance Thursday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Renee Toliver, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said in a news release.

The indictment alleges Goodspeed told investors he was a concert promoter working in partnership with a multinational event marking company. He allegedly solicited large investments and promised quick returns as high as 50 percent.

In July 2018, Goodspeed solicited $400,000 from an investor, promising to pay him back $650,000 within four months, the indictment alleges. He said the money would be used to promote touring shows for artists Nicki Minaj and Future.

The same day the investor wired Goodspeed the money, the defendant allegedly withdrew $200,000 to pay a court-appointed receiver in connection with a lawsuit. He also wired $20,000 to another investor and withdrew $10,000 in cash and cashier’s checks, authorities said. He only paid back a fraction of the investor’s $400,000 investment, according to the release.

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In January 2022, Goodspeed allegedly solicited $50,000 from another investor and said the money would be used to buy concert tickets and suites for an upcoming Tyler, the Creator show.

Goodspeed made “excuse after excuse” for not returning the principal investments or paying out the return as promised, the release says. He then told the investor he would be paid in full after two other concerts, including another show by Tyler, the Creator and Ludacris, according to the release.

The investor wired an additional $130,000 to Goodspeed, which he then used for personal expenses such as rental payments at an upscale apartment complex, a purchase at a high-end retail store, airline and hotel fees, and to make payments to other investors, the investigation found.

Investors lost over $1 million as a result of Goodspeed’s alleged fraud, according to the release.

The FBI’s Dallas Field Office conducted the investigation.

If convicted, he faces up to 60 years in prison, 20 years per count.