Rihanna and lady gaga

Rihanna, left, and Lady Gaga were promised to do shows by two men who had no connection with the stars in a $2 million scam.

(AP Files Photos)

A Readington Township man helped steal more than $2 million from event promoters and party planners around the world by making phony promises to deliver big name guests such as pop music stars Rihanna and Lady Gaga, authorities said.

Sylvester Vincent Carroll, 47, of the first block of Dreahook Road, was indicted on charges of grand larceny and scheme to defraud in New York State Supreme Court, the Manhattan District Attorney's Office announced Thursday.

The 47-year-old Carroll is accused of teaming up with Meceo McEaddy, 38, of Queens, N.Y., and convincing organizers they could secure performances by the world-famous recording artists for concerts and other events in places such as Brazil and Mexico, prosecutors said.

But in fact, the pair had no ties to the singers and no way to deliver on their promises, and instead spent the money to repay debts and fund a lavish lifestyle, Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance Jr. said.

“These defendants are charged with selling concert promoters around the world a false bill of goods,” Vance said in a statement. “Rihanna’s ‘Please Don’t Stop the Music’ could be an anthem for the legions of disappointed fans who heard about her concert in Brazil, only to learn that it had to be canceled before tickets even went on sale."

Carroll and McEaddy’s scam began in June 2010, when they told a production company in Brazil they would book Rihanna for a concert in Rio de Janeiro, prosecutors said. Carroll claimed to be an authorized booking agent for the singer and created a false email account using Rihanna’s then-manager to contact the victim, court records say.

Together, McEaddy and Carroll collected $825,000 from the company in return for a performance, authorities said.

The company began promoting the concert, only to learn it had been taken after receiving cease-and-desist orders from Rihanna’s actual representatives, prosecutors said.

Meanwhile, Carroll and McEaddy allegedly used large portions of the money for payments to a car dealer and jeweler and to cover dental and hotel bills.

Two years later, Carroll promised a Mexican party organizer he could book Lady Gaga for a private party in Cancun, court records state. He received a $650,000 advance deposit but never booked the singer for the event, prosecutors said.

Instead, he allegedly used the money to pay off large debit card bills and outstanding credit.

McEaddy has also been charged in connection with similar scams, promising to deliver pop-artist Ke$ha to events in Taiwan and Long Island, N.Y., prosecutors said. In the process, he stole about $45,000 in deposits, records indicate.

In both cases, McEaddy quickly spent the victims’ money at restaurants, furniture stores, a nightclub, and on airline expenses, and also made large cash withdrawals, the prosecutor’s office said.

McEaddy faces several charges, including grand larceny and tax fraud, for his role in the scam, prosecutors said.

“The defendants capitalized on the popularity of three of the most famous pop stars in the world to steal more than $2 million from event promoters,” Vance said. “My office will continue to root out and prosecute those who abuse their victims’ trust for their own profit.”

Vance said the Hunterdon County Prosecutor's Office and Readington Township Police Department assisted in the arrest of Carroll.

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LOCKED UP

Sylvester V. Carroll, 47, of Readington Township, was being held in the Manhattan Detention Complex in lieu of $400,000 bail or $650,000 bond, records indicate.