Electronic Daisy Sting

A $1 million wristband counterfeiting scheme was uncovered and two alleged perps arrested, including an assistant head of security at the Electric Daisy Carnival in Las Vegas.

Pasquale Rotella, CEO of EDC organizer Insomniac Inc., reportedly gave police information that resulted in the bust, saying his company had encountered similar problems at other festivals including Coachella.

Aaron Hernandez, employed by EDC, was arrested on charges including obtaining money under false pretenses, attempted forgery and conspiracy to commit a crime. Pathomrat Kunawongse was also arrested in the alleged plot to sell the phony wristbands for $200 each.

“Rotella stated his company had a problem with numerous fraudulent wristbands appearing at the ‘Coachella’ show at Palm Springs,” the Las Vegas Review-Journal quoted from a police report.

Both men were booked at the Clark County Detention Center during the June 24-26 Electric Daily Carnival at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Kunawongse was charged with burglary and possession of stolen property.

The fake wristbands were recovered before any were sold, according to the paper. But an email from Kunawongse detailed a plan to sell 5,000 of the bands for $200 each, for a potential net of as much as $1 million. The email was reportedly sent to an unidentified California man and shared with another festival employee who went to Rotella.

Police concocted a sting operation in which the employee was given a digital recorder and 125 authentic wristbands for the event to take to a meeting with Kunawongse, according to the Review-Journal. Police arrested Kunawongse, who identified Hernandez, after the meeting.

Hernandez reportedly gave police a full confession of the plot, reportedly calling it the result of a “stupid, drunk, man talk,” the paper said.