Businesswoman Claims Birdman Flew the Coop

LAS VEGAS (CN) - A businesswoman claims a suspended attorney from Florida charged $50,000 to book hip-hop artist Birdman for a party, though Birdman's fee is only $35,000. The attorney and his cohorts pocketed the cash and Birdman never showed up, the Billionaire Mafia claims.

Billionaire Mafia, a clothing maker, and its founder Lana Fuchs sued attorney Philip Brutus and others, including Birdman (Bryan Williams), in Clark County Court.

Fuchs claims she "wired $50,000 into the trust account of a Florida attorney named Philip Brutus, who apparently claimed to represent Birdman. That attorney was at that time suspended from practicing law in the State of Florida."

The complaint continues: "Evan St. Clair requested $50,000 for the participation fee of Birdman. As it turned out, Birdman's own demand for an appearance fee constituted only $35,000, as per plaintiff's conversations with Birdman. Birdman had stated that he never signed the agreements in question, but it appears that the signature on the agreements appear to be not Birdman's, but forged signatures made by Evan St. Clair."

St. Clair is named as a defendant, along with Fat Cats Entertainment Group and Andre Cleveland.

Fuchs claims that "Andre Cleveland and Evan St. Clair conspired to defraud the plaintiffs by misrepresenting themselves as agents of Birdman".

She adds: "Evan St. Clair used the services of a Florida attorney, Philip J. Brutus, Esq., who at the time of the events described herein was ineligible to practice law in Florida, and ineligible to use his attorney trust account, especially for receipt of monies into the trust account.

"Defendants obtained the money from plaintiffs through fraud and false pretenses.

Philip J. Brutus misrepresented himself as being Birdman's entertainment attorney, and used his attorney trust account to receive $50,000 from the plaintiffs."

Fuchs and her company demand $75,000 for fraud and breach of contract. Fuchs says she thought she was booking Birdman for a party on Aug. 17, 2010.

Fuchs is represented by Sergei Orel, of Gutenberg, N.J.

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