FORMER ROCHESTER MAN I N COURT TODAY AFTER LOS ANGELES ARREST FOR SCHEME WHICH PROMISED TO DELIVER CELEBRITIES FOR CASH

A man who claimed to represent celebrities he promised would show up at events in return for payment was in federal court today, announced Laurie J. Bennett, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI's Buffalo Field Office. Stephon Chatman, 36, of Los Angeles (and formerly of Rochester), was charged in a criminal complaint with multiple counts of wire fraud, in connection with operating a fraudulent website where victims were promised that celebrities would attend their events in return for large fees up to $68,000.

According to a criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court in the Western District of New York, Stephon Chatman had been doing business as the CEO and founder of Onpoint Marketing Promotions, which he represented as a low cost promotional agency with the ability to contract with hundreds of major artists and other entertainers for events organized by potential customers.

Chatman carried out the alleged fraud by operating the website, www.onpointmarketingpromotions.com, where victims learned of Chatman's purported services and believed they were securing entertainers for their events. Chatman added legitimacy to the scheme by sending documentation to the victims. Victims were directed by Chatman to complete and sign the forms, in addition to wire transferring monetary advances to his bank in Fairport, New York.

When Chatman received victims' funds, he would then avoid their phone calls and attempts at contact. Chatman, who used various names and e-mail addresses to conduct the fraud, allegedly made excuses as to why the entertainer had not signed the contract and why the victims' money was not returned, according to the complaint.

The complaint alleges that Chatman promised to deliver celebrities to events, including an overseas appearance by Shakira in Armenia, an appearance by Justin Timberlake in Illinois and an appearance by Eva Longoria in Washington, D.C. Representatives of the aforementioned entertainers were contacted by agents and all of them confirmed that the celebrities had never contracted nor heard of Chatman; moreover, that Chatman had no authority to act as their representative.

According to the complaint, Chatman was in negotiations with at least nineteen potential customers with required advance payments totaling over $500,000.

In the recent past, Chatman had moved his residence from New York State to Los Angeles, California, and was arrested there in late June by agents with the FBI's Los Angeles office. Chatman was afforded an initial appearance in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles on Friday, June 28, 2007, and was remanded to federal custody. Chatman was transported by U.S. Marshals to Rochester, New York, and was arraigned in U.S. District Court on July 23, 2007. A detention hearing is set for July 26, 2007 at 10:00 AM.

This case is the result of an investigation by the FBI's Buffalo Field Office, assisted by the FBI in the Los Angeles Field Office. This case will be prosecuted by the United States Attorney's Office in the Western District of New York.

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