Talent Manager Convicted of $110,000 Scam

Debra Baum

DEBRA BAUM, a music talent manager who has worked with REBECCA BLACK, PAULA ABDUL and TEARS FOR FEARS, among others, has been convicted of charging the family of two aspiring performers $110,000 in illegal payments, according to the L.A. TIMES.

In the L.A. city attorney's criminal case, which was filed last JANUARY, BAUM was accused of violating the KREKORIAN TALENT SCAM PREVENTION ACT, which prohibits managers, agents and others who represent actors to charge them any fees other than commissions.

The 53-year-old entered a plea  of no contest to one count of operating an advance fee talent service and was sentenced to 36 months of probation and ordered to serve 45 days in jail or perform 20 days of community labor.

BAUM solicited a 19-year-old singer in a hair salon, signing her to a $10,000-a-month management contract in 2012, which escalated over seven months to $70,000, with thousands more spent on vocal training and other work. BAUM was also charged with convincing the family to spend an additional $40,000 on the singer's sister.
  
As part of her plea, BAUM has agreed to make restitution of $91,252.75.

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