ST. LOUIS – A Nashville man accused of defrauding a St. Louis talent booking agency out of $270,000 by making false claims about a concert appearance for a national recording artist is now behind bars.

Joshua Adam Eldridge, 37, was indicted Feb. 26 in federal court on one count of wire fraud amid the investigation. Authorities arrested Eldridge on Tuesday.

A federal indictment alleges that Eldridge targeted the booking agency in March and April 2024, falsely claiming he had an existing relationship with an artist and was negotiating her performance in Detroit.

Eldridge allegedly sent the St. Louis booking agency fake screenshots of texts with the artist’s creative director. Initially believing the deal to be legitimate, a victim associated with the booking agency wired $270,000 to Eldridge.

The indictment accuses Eldridge of using the money for living expenses, including airline tickets, clothing and accessories, rather than securing the artist’s concert performance.

At some point, the victim confronted Eldridge about the artist and an unrelated concert scheduled for the same month in Detroit. Eldridge reportedly promised to return the deposit, though authorities say his claim included a fabricated refund agreement.

The U.S. Department of Justice did not disclose the name of the booking agency or the artist involved, according to a Thursday news release.

If convicted, Eldridge faces up to 20 years in prison and $250,000 in fines for the federal charge.