Conman Pretending To Be Village People Agent Pleads Guilty To Fraud

Published: 04/06/2020 | Last Updated: 05/06/2020

The conman who claimed to work for the Village People pleaded guilty of fraud on Tuesday. The guy who booked the performing grouped at the Mill Casino North Bend will soon serve time following a sentence from the federal court.

The Village People are successful magicians from the 1970s. The group gained fame became famous because of their exemplary stage performance, catchy tunes and lyrics. Their hit singles “Macho Man,” “In the Navy,” “Go West,” and “Y.M.C.A.” became phenomenal dance craze internationally.

The band members included Victor Willis, James Kwong, Chad Freeman, Jeffrey James Lippold, James Lee, and other talented members in the past. At present, the band performs during tours and in the casino stage.

The contract with the casinos

In August, Howard Harlib signed the contract with Mill Casino, run by the Coquille Indian Tribe, claiming that the performing group will on January 2016. The conman faxed the casino a flyer that advertises the availability of the casino.

He also discussed the details of the supposed gig over the phone to a representative of the casino. The date was fixed, along with the prices. He said that band would perform and Las Vegas and proceed to Oregon on the following day.

The conman received a $12,500 check on the following month. Prosecutors said that the check is named for “Howard Harlib, dba Premier Entertainment.” Mr. Harlib cashed out the check after two days.

It was too late when the casino discovered that the performing group is scheduled for another gig during the scheduled date. Mil Casino found out that the Village People were scheduled to perform in Florida and not in their venue.

The casino tried to contact Mr. Harlib, but he cannot be reached. They then later found out from real representatives of the musicians that the conman is not working with them. Mr. Harlib needs to pay $12,500 in compensation to the tribe as ordered by U.S. District Judge Ann Aiken.

Similar cases in the past

He was also sentenced to three years of imprisonment. He was under the custody of authorities in Florida because of other crimes unrelated to the case. He was also guilty of the same cases in 2004 when he claimed he worked for the Temptations, the Supremes, and Jimmie Walker.

The conman was found guilty of grand theft after booking the performers in different venues in Florida. Gavin Bruce, Assistant U.S. Attorney, was concerned that the conman performed the same tricks over the past.

The conman was also caught impersonating a doctor in Florida, where he hoards a variety of prescription medications. Harlib was born in the Bronx and lived in Florida in recent years. He served five years of jail time in Florida and about to be released from cases including grand theft, organized fraud, and possession of the controlled substance.

He will face additional charges as part of a negotiated plea in the federal case. Mr. Bruce said that the 64-year-old conman’s crimes are past the point of young and dumb mistakes.