Former ‘Arsenio Hall’ and ‘Lopez Tonight’ musical director pleads guilty to ’embezzling $750,000 from a Bulgarian charity concert for homeless youth and spending it on new cars for his family and a Calabasas home for his ex-wife’Robin DiMaggio, 48, pleaded guilty on Wednesday to one count of wire fraud before United States District Judge Dolly M. Gee DiMaggio told the Bulgarian-based Peace for You Peace for Me Foundation that he would help organize a charity concert in the capital city of SofiaThe drummer communicated with the foundation that he could get various celebrities to perform at the concert and got $750,000 to pay the artistsA plea agreement states that DiMaggio then admitted to spending $251,370 to buy a home in Calabasas for his ex-wifeHe then bought his mother a car for $35,000 and one for his son for $24,000DiMaggio also wired $150,000 to an account in the name of his company – DiMagic Entertainment, Inc. The Woodland Hills resident is scheduled to appear in court on March 4, 2020, for his sentencing hearing and could face 20 years in a federal prison
Robin DiMaggio, 48, pleaded guilty on Wednesday to one count of wire fraud before United States District Judge Dolly M. Gee
A professional drummer who once served as the musical director for ‘The Aresenio Hall Show’ and the United Nations has admitted to embezzling $750,000 from a charity concert to pay off his ex-wife and buy cars for his family.
Robin DiMaggio, 48, pleaded guilty on Wednesday to one count of wire fraud before United States District Judge Dolly M. Gee, according to a release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Central District of California.
The Woodland Hills resident is scheduled to appear in court on March 4, 2020, for his sentencing hearing.
DiMaggio told the Bulgarian-based Peace for You Peace for Me Foundation that he would help bring awareness and funds to the organization, court documents state.
He was to help the non-profit by organizing a charity concert in the capital city of Sofia. The concert would help raise funds and bring attention to homeless and displaced children from conflict areas.
According to the court documents, the drummer communicated with the foundation that he could get various celebrities to perform at the concert.
The foundation’s financial sponsor then wired $750,000 to an account that DiMaggio controlled on August 5, 2016. The payment was to be a guarantee for future payments for artists who were performing at the concert.
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DiMaggio told the Bulgarian-based Peace for You Peace for Me Foundation that he would help organize a charity concert in the capital city of Sofia
DiMaggio falsely represented that he would not spend the money, adding that it would be placed in an escrow account to be used at a later date to pay artist for the performance.
The former music producer acknowledged that he never set up the escrow account and instead put the money into a personal account that he then used to make payments on ‘cars, credit card debt and his living expenses.’
A plea agreement states that DiMaggio then admitted to spending $251,370 to buy a home in Calabasas for his ex-wife. The drummer then bought his mother a car for $35,000 and one for his son for $24,000, the plea agreement states.
The drummer communicated with the foundation that he could get various celebrities to perform at the concert and got $750,000 to pay the artists
DiMaggio (center right) instead used the money to buy his ex-wife a home and cars for his mother and son
DiMaggio also wired $150,000 to an account in the name of his company – DiMagic Entertainment, Inc.
None of the payments went to artist said to be associated with the charity concert in Bulgaria.
DiMaggio was later sued in a Los Angeles Superior Court by the foundation’s financial sponsor and ultimately filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy protection.
In his filing, made in September 2017, DiMaggio lied and said that he had not made alimony payments or given gifts exceeding $600 to any person in the last two years.
DiMaggio’s IMDB page lists him as being a drummer and musical director on The Arsenio Hall Show from 2013 until 2014
He could face a maximum sentence of 20 years in a federal prison.
DiMaggio’s IMDB page lists him as being a drummer and musical director on The Arsenio Hall Show from 2013 until 2014. Prior to that, he was a musician on the Lopez Tonight show.
On his website, the musician claims to have been working on television shows since the 80s – including on MTV and Soul Train.
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