John Mayer Named In Ponzi Scheme Lawsuit

A gig John Mayer played in 2008 has reportedly linked the singer to a $100 million Ponzi scheme. A lawsuit claims that the scheme’s mastermind paid a booking agency as much as $465,000 in “dirty money” to book the show.

TMZ reports that the lawsuit came about as trustees are trying to track down and recover the millions that were swindled from investors through Darren Berg’s investment company. In February Berg was sentenced to 18 years in prison.

According to legal documents obtained by the gossip site, the booking agency allegedly paid by Berg’s company is named Grabow & Associates. The documents claim that by extension Mayer received funds from the Ponzi scheme.

Mayer’s lawyer responded to the lawsuit by sending TMZ the following statement: “John Mayer performed at a corporate event in 2008 and was paid for his services. The opportunity was brought to John through his talent agency, CAA.”

E! Online reports that the gig in question was a January 2008 performance at a “private meeting planner conference held by Berg’s investment companies.”

Booking agent Bob Grabow told E! Online Berg contracted him five years ago about the show and that it would “have been impossible to know that he was in the middle of his fraudulent activities. We are answering the claims, but it will be clear when it comes out … there is no merit to anything on this.”

Without going into specifics, Grabow said the $465,000 figure referenced in the lawsuit is incorrect.