Simone WilsonA man known for years around the Internet and the entertainment industry to be a con artist posing as a talent agent type — alleged victims have attested online that he often claims affiliation with rap superstars like Snoop Dogg, E-40 and Diddy — is now on the radar of the San Bernardino Police Department, as well.
The department announced this morning that 45-year-old Anthony Augustus Jefferson (also known as “DJ Tone”) is wanted for “sexual battery by false pretenses, false impersonation, indecent exposure, and theft” of aspiring actresses and models from age 20 to 53…
… hailing from all over L.A. County: Beverly Hills, Hollywood, Los Angeles, North Hollywood, Sherman Oaks, Westlake and West L.A.
The sexual battery charge comes from him telling two particular women that they'd make a ton of money and meet “renowned actors” if they followed him back to his hotel room and performed “various sexual acts with him as part of an audition for movie roles,” according to the police statement.
Barf. And before leaving his victims in the dust, Jefferson allegedly shook them down for all they were worth — convincing them “to use their own personal credit cards to purchase items under the false promise of reimbursement.”
An anonymous user on Scambook.com can attest. On February 28, she wrote that…
“… as I was on a “probationary period”, I was instructed to put company expenses on my own debit card for reimbursement. I submitted all requested documentation for reimbursement and then the man and company disappeared, owing me more than $10,ooo. It has been devastating.”
Considering this guy is fat, fugly and otherwise loser-looking, we're kind of curious as to how he tricked all these foxy ladies into doing his bidding. Guess the industry has just gotten that tough, and the aspiring talent that desperate.
Another ScamBook user, calling herself only “T,” describes his savvy and astoundingly out-in-the-open methods of convincing his peers that he was legit:
“During the time I worked for him I went to an event at Nokia Theatre with him backstage with another girl named Donna, who claimed she was his old assistant and how wonderful of a boss he was. I was introduced to event coordinators who knew him as Snoop Dogs assistant, I wrote up ads for him to scout new models, met and interviewed these models. I also held meetings with potential new talent from people working in the industry that evidently do not know he is a scam artist. He and his associates are running a HUGE scam. They are even scamming people IN THE INDUSTRY.”
Vanessa Lobo, alleged victim.; Credit: Model Mayhem
One particularly interesting and credible-sounding account comes from Las Vegas model-dancers Vanessa Lobo, Amber Holifield and Karina Eiland. All the way back in 2008, they posted their story to the Ripoff Report:
Anthony Jefferson (aka: DJ Tone) is a con artist, pimp and identity thief that uses and/or is assisted by Universal Studios, Warner Bros., Billionaire Mafia, E-40 and affiliates to conduct his operations. Anthony Jefferson entices models with a sizable paying yet professional job and the ability for models to promote themselves to other professionals in the entertainment industry, to travel out of their secure environment into his deception. We … were hired to be on stage with E-40, make appearances on E-40's up coming DVD, and model during a V.I.P. party.
During our employment (11/26/08 – 11/27/08) in Las Vegas with Anthony Jefferson, he/himself and his supporters have lied, robbed, abused, sexually harassed us, and one model was sexually abused. We were instructed to pay him for the hotel rooms that he had arranged for us under his/company discount. After he abandoned us without warning and payment, we discovered the price we paid Anthony Jefferson was extremely overcharged and hadn't even been arranged to cover our entire stay at the hotel. With further investigation we also discovered that without knowledge or approval he had charged multiple rooms to one of the models' credit card. He uses his close relationship with celebrities and companies make you believe that the opportunity is legit while alternative motives are being schemed. In the end all we received was abuse physically, emotionally, and financially.
So yeah — this “wanted” ad seems to have been a long time coming. Even the podunk Bakersfield Police Department, who surely deals with all sorts of L.A.-area criminals who head out to the desert to lay low, can't ignore an (alleged) scam artist of Jefferson's stature forever.
If you have any information on this fugitive's whereabouts, give Detective Rodrigues a call at (661) 326-3870. And don't take any job offers from a creepy old fat dude who swears he knows Snoop.
[@simone_electra / swilson@laweekly.com / @LAWeeklyNews]
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