Maryland Man To Plead Not Guilty In Fake Pharrell Show Case

A lawyer for a man charged with scamming a South Korean steel company out of $375,000 by claiming he could help them book a Pharrell concert says his client will plead not guilty.

Sigismond Segbefia, of Silver Spring, Maryland, faces fraud and identity theft charges. Prosecutors say he also used a Pennsylvania postal worker’s identity to bilk more than $445,000 from women he met online.

Segbefia is a 28-year-old native of Ghana who is in the U.S. legally. He was arrested last month by federal customs officials at Kennedy Airport.

The FBI says Segbefia used a shell company he incorporated in Maryland called Eastern Stars LLC to make his various claims seem legitimate.

Photo: Jen Lowery Photography

"KIIS FM Jingle Ball," Staples Center, Los Angeles, Calif.

Segbefia will be arraigned Thursday in Pittsburgh. His lawyer says he will ask for a jury trial.