“This is a crime against the promoters who have lost money,” said Ron Trent in a statement.
The music industry is rife with questionable actors, but few will ever experience fraud at the level that Ron Trent and a number of promoters seeking to book him seemingly have. The Chicago house DJ and producer has accused a booking agent named Darren James-Thomas of booking gigs on his behalf and pocketing the fees.
“It has come to our attention that Mr. James-Thomas had been fraudulently booking festivals in my name and collected several payments without my authorization,” reads a statement shared by Trent on Instagram. “This behaviour was discovered when he disappeared with the payments owed and subsequently shut down his website.”
According to Resident Advisor, James-Thomas had founded FMLY Agency in 2015 but recently left and launched a new firm called The Unknown Agency (TUA). The outlet reviewed emails and other documents Thomas and Dekmantel Head of Program David Cornelissen in which James-Thomas negotiated booking terms and ultimately secured payment.
“The main issue with this situation, aside from the theft, is that we operate within a bubble of trust,” Cornelissen said to Resident Advisor. “Our entire industry relies on mutual goodwill, cooperation, and trustworthiness. In my ten years in this field, I’ve never encountered a situation like this before.”
VISIO Festival in Finland also issued a statement suggesting that it was another one of James-Thomas’ victims. “According to the latest information, Ron Trent’s European agent has gone AWOL, failing to inform the artist of any European gigs,” it reads. “This situation affects not only us but also several larger festivals, and we are working together with the artist’s representation to resolve the matter.”
Ron Trent’s statement indicated that his legal team is in talks with the UK Fraud Agency, which is formally investigating the matter. “This is a crime against the promoters who have lost money,” it reads. “To all promoters, please, cut off all communications with Mr. Thomas.”
Trent’s career gained traction in the early ’90s when he released the successful deep house single “Altered States.” He relocated from Chicago to New York City, gaining further momentum for tracks like his Anthony Nicholson collaboration “Ncame U” featuring D’bora and Peven Everett as well as his widely recognized label, Prescription Records.
