Scottsdale man accused of stealing millions in music royalties
Dec 4, 2021, 6:30 AM
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PHOENIX — A Scottsdale man is one of two people accused of stealing millions of dollars in music royalties over the past five years, authorities said Wednesday.
Jose Teran, 36, was indicted on charges of conspiracy, wire fraud, transactional money laundering, and aggravated identity theft for his alleged role since 2016.
Teran and 38-year-old Webster Batista of Doral, Florida, are said to have falsely represented themselves to collect more than $20 million in royalty payments for music that was monetized through a third-party company, the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona said in a press release.
The two men in February 2017 alleged their company, MediaMuv, had the legal right to monetize more than 50,000 songs.
MediaMuv had contracts with two third-party companies and claimed they had rights over the music when they did not, according to the release.
Teran and Batista allegedly didn’t pay royalties to the artists or representatives they claimed to have ownership over.
The duo used the royalty money to buy high-end items such as cars, jewelry and property.
Teran could face up to 37 years in prison if convicted on all charges and fined up to $250,000 per felony conviction.