Illinois man charged in booking scheme that cost Emory University $37,500

The U.S. Attorney’s Office says an Illinois man has been charged with falsely claiming to represent top talent in order to defraud universities.
Octaveon Woods is accused of fooling Emory University into thinking it was booking hip-hop group Migos for a student concert when it paid him a $37,500 deposit.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office accuses Woods of doing something similar to the University of Missouri.
“Woods owned and operated several companies, including Global Talent Agency, GTA Bookings, and National Artist Agency, that claimed to be booking agencies in the entertainment industry,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office said. “Woods advertised that these agencies represented dozens of famous musicians, comedians and other artists, including hip-hop and rap artists Migos, Lil Yachty, and Lil Uzi Vert.”
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, student groups at Emory and the University of Missouri hired Woods’ companies to book these acts.
“In reality, neither Woods nor his companies had any relationship with these artists,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office said. “As soon as his victims would wire him money to book the concerts, Woods drained the funds by transferring them to other accounts and withdrawing them as cash.”
Woods, who lives in Decatur, Ill., was arraigned on Feb. 6.