Charity Promoter Gets Prison

Florida musician and concert promoter Lee Koenig, convicted of organized fraud for walking off with $80,000 in proceeds earmarked for fundraising concerts several years ago, was sentenced to three years in prison May 19.

Koenig, who pleaded no contest to the charge last year, was also ordered to repay $78,000 and placed on 17 years’ probation, according to the TC Palm.

The disgraced promoter reportedly told Circuit Court Judge Sherwood Bauer he never intended to rip anyone off but was instead “a victim of bad legal advice” on how to handle the donations he received, the paper said.

Koenig’s problems drew the attention of Florida investigators in March 2007 when they followed up on complaints from organizers of the 2006 “Rockin’ on the Riverkeeper” benefit and the Humane Society of the Treasure Coast’s “Dollars For Collars” event.

Organizers complained that Koenig collected money toward promoting and advertising the fundraising concerts but neither organization ever saw a dime of it.