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>NEW YORK (Billboard) - A federal criminal >investigation is under way after $1.25 million in >songwriter royalties allegedly were embezzled from the >Songwriters Guild of America by its royalty manager >and her family members. > >The SGA's special counsel, Charles Sanders, told >Billboard that the FBI, the Internal Revenue >Service and the U.S. Postal Service are working with >the guild to determine the full extent of any criminal >activities. > >The SGA represents about 5,000 songwriter members and >their estates. Members may elect to have the guild >collect royalties for them from publishers, collecting >societies and others. The SGA collects nearly $16 >million in royalties annually and holds about 2 >percent of that amount, when it cannot find current >addresses for writers. > >According to a federal civil lawsuit the SGA filed in >July, Marsha Aiken became the guild's royalty manager >in 2002 and created a fraudulent membership account >under the name Anthony Ray, who the IRS later >identified as her cousin. She began writing >unauthorized royalty checks to Ray from the SGA's >general account -- where the unlocated writers' funds >are held -- and mailing them to him in Rhode Island. > >A Rhode Island bank complied with federal banking >regulations by notifying the IRS when someone >attempted to cash an SGA check for more than $10,000, >Sanders says. The IRS then contacted the SGA, with >Aiken taking charge of the inquiry as royalty and >office manager; she stalled the IRS with various >excuses, Sanders said. In June the IRS contacted an >SGA executive and pointed out that Aiken and the >recipient of the check were cousins. > >The guild launched an investigation and discharged >Aiken. Several specialists are working to implement >security improvements and to file insurance claims, >Sanders said. > >The District Court in Brooklyn, N.Y., issued an >injunction August 17 prohibiting Aiken, Ray, Michael >Levy, Monique Aiken Adams and anyone "in active >concert" with any of them from selling property in St. >Albans, N.Y., that the SGA claims was acquired with >the funds. > >Aiken declined to comment. Ray, Levy and Adams could >not be reached. > >http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20050903/music_nm/scandal_dc > > >---------------- > missing music man -- > > > >Fats Domino Is Missing in New Orleans > > Fats Domino was missing Thursday, days after >Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans, said his >longtime agent, Al Embry. Embry told The Associated >Press that he hadn't been able to contact Domino since >talking to him Sunday evening by phone. > >Checquoline Davis, Domino's niece, posted a message on >Craigslist.com Thursday pleading for information. >Davis wrote that Domino, his wife, their children and >grandchildren "didn't get out" of the second floor. > >Domino, who has rarely appeared in public in recent >years, has a home in the 9th ward, a low-lying area of >the flooded city. > >Getting information on possible missing persons has >been nearly impossible as phone lines for hospitals >and police haven't been working. > >Domino has sold more than 110 million records in his >long career, including the legendary singles >"Blueberry Hill" and "Ain't That a Shame." > >His 1950 recording of "The Fat Man" is sometimes >called the first real rock 'n' roll record. He was >among the first honorees to the Rock and Roll Hall of >Fame.

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