KJZZ is a service of Rio Salado College,
and Maricopa Community Colleges

Copyright © 2024 KJZZ/Rio Salado College/MCCCD
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Scottsdale man pleads guilty in YouTube music royalty scam

Federal prosecutors say a Scottsdale man has admitted to being part of a scam that stole millions of dollars in music royalties.

Billboard magazine says that among the 50,000 Latin songs he and others lied about owning are works by artists such as Daddy Yankee and Julio Iglesias.

Jose Teran recently pleaded guilty to conspiracy, wire fraud and money laundering. Federal prosecutors say he and others stole $23.4 million in about four years by creating a Maryvale-based company to falsely claim ownership of music online.

Court records say Teran and a co-defendant spent money on a home, jewelry, and pricey vehicles.

The accomplice pleaded guilty last April and reportedly gave the Feds key details of what Billboard calls one of the largest known YouTube-music-royalty scams in history.

Teran is scheduled for sentencing in June.

Matthew Casey has won Edward R. Murrow awards for hard news and sports reporting since he joined KJZZ as a senior field correspondent in 2015.