Sheriff: Fake Nikki Minaj concert swindles Treasure Coast victims

POLK COUNTY, Fla. - Phill and Evelyn Bradley, a couple from Lakeland, were arrested November 19 on charges of grand theft and scheme to defraud.

According to arrest reports, a Stuart investor, his mother and friend input $36,000 total into a bogus concert.

The victim, who asked to remain anonymous, said that there could have been several more investors into the couple’s potentially-fraudulent company, Big Apple Music Group, Inc. 

The victim thought he was investing into a concert that would have Nikki Minaj and Drake perform, but Polk County Sheriff’s detectives say with more research, they found Phill Bradley’s artist booking agreements were not real.

Detectives say the fraud scheme was complex, with Bradley even going so far as to do walkthroughs of the proposed venue, Simmers-Young Park, and promoting the concert with online fliers that had photos of Nikki Minaj and Drake.

When detectives called the management company for Minaj and agent for Drake, both parties were not aware of the alleged concert, and confirmed neither artist would be available on the proposed date.

“The world's biggest artists coming to Polk county?” asked Grady Judd, Polk County Sheriff. “We all know that's not happening. ”

According to his arrest report, Bradley stated during a phone conversation with a detective that he planned to sell 10,000 tickets.

The report said in 2009, Bradley was convicted of organized scheme to defraud in Palm Beach County, and he has several other previous fraud charges in his criminal  history.