DAVIESS COUNTY, KY (CelebrityAccess) — A Kentucky concert promoter is facing new charges in the wake of an outlaw country music concert that went off the rails over the weekend.
Jason “Buzz Casey” Giardina, owner of Mr. Bad Guy Presents, was at the Lions Club Fairgrounds in Philpot, Kentucky over the weekend to stage The Last Outlaw Tour 2019 concert, featuring outlaw country legend David Allen Coe, Confederate Railroad, and several other country music acts.
However, Coe never took the stage, and later claimed that his team was escorted off the festival grounds, despite being ready to play. Confederate Railroad was also a no-show, claiming to have had mechanical trouble with their tour bus.
Things also took a turn for Giardina, and he was charged on Saturday night with a variety of motor vehicle offenses, including operating without brake lights, registration plates, failing to maintain insurance and driving with a suspended license.
He was arrested on Saturday night by Daviess County Sheriff’s Department deputies shortly after leaving the fairgrounds, reported local newspaper the Messenger-Inquirer.
Now he’s been hit with new charges, including three counts of theft by deception under $500 after the Sherrif’s department alleged he continued to sell tickets to the show despite knowing that Coe would not perform and being warned against doing so by the sheriff’s dept.
He was also charged with one count of possession of marijuana and one count of possession of drug paraphernalia, according to the Messenger-Inquirer.
“He was supposed to check out of his local hotel,” Sheriff’s department spokesperson Bill Thompson told the Messenger-Inquirer. “When he didn’t show up, they extended him, then realized he was in custody. They cleaned out his room and found small amounts of marijuana and paraphernalia and then contacted us. Based on that, we were able to issue an arrest warrant. He is still in custody and will remain on the misdemeanor charges. All of the district court judges are in conference. It will be Thursday before he sees a judge. If someone posts bond, he will be out, but it gives us more time to continue to dig and see what we can find on this guy.”
“The prosecutor’s office, commonwealth and county attorneys are still researching and digging to see what kind of criminal liability that this man may face,” Thompson added. “We still have his vehicle, which we are attempting to develop probable cause to get into, which could lead to other avenues of investigation. We have been contacted by other artists saying that he has perpetrated the same scam on them at different venues. Apparently he has a history of moving from town to town deceiving people and then leaving.”
Mr Bad Guy Presents did not respond to a request for comment.
