He claimed to represent Rihanna, Maroon 5, Snoop. Patterson swindler now behind bars
A Patterson man who defrauded concert promoters and others by claiming he could secure Rihanna, Snoop Dogg, Maroon 5 and other performers has pleaded guilty to criminal charges, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Sacramento.
Jordan Mouton, who also goes by the name Big Cheeze, pleaded guilty to wire fraud and aggravated identity theft for falsely representing his ability to arrange concerts featuring well-known artists. He also pleaded guilty to engaging in monetary transactions involving criminally derived property, a news release states. He defrauded promoters and investors of $550,000.
The news release says Mouton gave his victims numerous fraudulent documents, including ones containing forged signatures of artists and their managers. For example, he gave one victim an “artist management agreement” with the forged signature of Snoop Dogg. It purportedly appointed Mouton to be the rapper’s manager, adviser and representative throughout China and greater Asia.
Mouton gave the same victim counterfeit passports supposedly belonging to members of the band Maroon 5.
The defendant also admitted he gave another victim letters containing forged signatures giving him authority to book performances by Rihanna and another artist for what Mouton and others called the “Asia Monster Tour” or “Asian Monster Tour.”
The indictment of Mouton, provided to The Bee by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of California, states that he even had promoters on a telephone call with someone claiming to be one of the artists.
The indictment says Mouton represented himself to victims as the CEO of a company called Mega Million Music, located in San Joaquin County. His crimes were committed between June 2013 and October 2015, it says.
Some of the money he stole was spent at casinos and a hydroponics store.
The plea agreement in the case states Mouton agrees to pay restitution of up to $555,000. It also says he agrees to make a full and complete disclosure of his assets and financial condition.
Mouton’s Facebook page and other online sites show that as Big Cheeze, he’s a hip-hop artist himself. He collaborated with rapper French Montana several years back. French Montana is a popular artist who has won BET Awards and been nominated for Billboard and Grammy awards.
A May 2007 article on the website of United Press International says Mouton was indicted by a Hamilton County, Ohio, grand jury on felony charges of trafficking in marijuana. Prosecutors said Mouton shipped marijuana from California to relatives in Cincinnati, according to the article.
In the fraud case, Mouton is to be sentenced March 16, 2020. He faces maximum statutory penalties of 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss on the wire fraud charge.
For engaging in transactions involving criminally derived property, Mouton faces maximum statutory penalties of 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 or twice the amount of property involved in the transaction.
Finally, the statutory maximum penalties for aggravated identity theft are a mandatory term of two years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss.
This story was originally published October 7, 2019 at 12:01 PM.
