Promoter Owns Up To Phony Toni

A promoter in South America has confessed to trying to pass off a Vegas impersonator as Toni Braxton during a March 1 concert in the country of Suriname that ended with an angry crowd trashing the stage.

Promoter Angel Ventura told a judge during questioning that concertgoers paid $53 for what they thought would be a performance by Braxton. Instead, they were treated to the sounds of Trina Johnson-Finn, whose set ended during the second song when she hit a wrong note, eliciting boos and flying trash from the crowd.

Johnson-Finn, dubbed “Phony Toni” by local media, was arrested following the incident. She claimed she was innocent and had been told she was performing as a tribute act for a private party.

Prosecutor Duncan Nanhoe, who was in court for the confession, said that even though Ventura fessed up, Johnson-Finn might not be in the clear just yet.

“Yes, Ventura confessed. But I don’t think that his admission of guilt dismisses Johnson as a suspect,” Nanhoe said.

Johnson-Finn’s husband, Raymond Finn, continues to contest his wife’s guilt, and claims that Ventura, without her knowledge, promoted her as the real Braxton. He also alleges that the promoter stole all the box office proceeds.

The case heads to court May 26.