VALENCIA, SPAIN – NOVEMBER 22: Mónica Naranjo performs in concert at Roig Arena on November 22, 2025 in Valencia, Spain. (Photo by Luis Carbonell Carbo/Redferns)
DALLAS – A Dallas man has been sentenced to prison for scamming investors out of $1.1 million meant for Tyler, the Creator, Bad Bunny, Beyoncé and other high-profile artists’ concerts.
Promotion scammer sentenced
What we know:
Carlos Desean Goodspeed, 45, was sentenced to 75 months in prison for wire fraud by United States District Judge Ed Kinkeade on Feb. 18. Goodspeed had been indicted in 2024 and pleaded guilty to the charge in October.
Kinkeade also ordered Goodspeed to pay nearly $1.2 million in restitution to 17 victims of the fraud scheme.
The backstory:
Goodspeed operated a business under the assumed name “Straight Like That Entertainment,” where he acted as a promoter for concerts and events involving high-profile artists and entertainers, including, for example, Tyler, the Creator, Ludacris, Beyonce, Nicki Minaj, Bad Bunny and Future. According to a release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Texas, none of the artists were involved in or knew about Goodspeed’s fraud scheme.
As an example of how the fraud was committed, the attorney’s office detailed one particular instance in the release in which Goodspeed stole a total of $180,000 from a victim for a series of Tyler, the Creator concerts.
Goodspeed reportedly admitted to taking the investments for the purchase of concert tickets and suites for a series of shows. None of the money went where Goodspeed told the investor it would; instead, the attorney’s office said, he used it for personal expenses including rental payments at an upscale apartment complex, a purchase at a high-end retail store, and airline fees and hotels.
Three victims testified at Goodspeed’s sentencing hearing and detailed their financial and emotional sufferings as a result of the scheme, the Wednesday release said. One victim testified that she used part of an inheritance to invest with Goodspeed in hopes of being able to pay medical bills for a family member diagnosed with cancer. Goodspeed did not pay her back as promised, and she was forced to take out loans and use credit cards to pay funeral expenses when her family member passed away.
What’s next:
Goodspeed remains in federal custody to serve his sentence of imprisonment.
What they’re saying:
“Victims are often defrauded of life savings and suffer devastating economic and personal harm because of investment fraud schemes like this one,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould. “Seeking lengthy prison time for defendants and restitution judgments on behalf of those victimized in these cases remain top priorities for my office.”
“The FBI remains committed to investigating those who take advantage of our communities through investment fraud schemes. We encourage the public to thoroughly research investment opportunities and to contact us immediately if…
Read More: $1.1M in stolen concert investments lands Texas man in prison
