Atlanta, GA – A group of men posing as members of the Wu-Tang Clan have been accused of scamming a few luxury hotels out of roughly $100,000. According to WSB-TV Atlanta, the men were driving around in a white Rolls-Royce Phantom pretending to belong to the notorious Hip Hop collective.
A criminal complaint filed this week in U.S. District Court in Atlanta says Aaron Barnes-Burpo and another man claimed to be with the entertainment firm Roc Nation and Wu-Tang. Atlanta properties The Georgian Terrace Hotel and Hyatt Regency said they walked out on two tabs worth $45,000 and $39,000.
Staff at a Fairfield Inn in Augusta, Georgia finally realized they were being scammed when Barnes-Burpo and his cohort Walker Washington attempted to rent 10 rooms under Roc Nation and the Wu-Tang Clan. But the staff suspected a scam, so the hotel sales director called Roc Nation and learned the two men weren’t associated with the label.
As soon as Barnes-Burpo tried to check in under the Roc Nation reservation, he and the others with him were detained by Richmond County sheriff’s deputies.
The complaint states the credit cards used in the scam included a stolen one and another that was “likely fake.” Two of the other men involved told deputies they were homeless men from the ATL who were recruited by the defendants to pose as their bodyguards.
The Rolls-Royce was rented from A-National Limousine, which reported a loss of nearly $60,000. The men also used two Atlanta recording studios, which lost over $17,000 as part of the scam.
Washington and Barnes-Burpo are charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. In the process, they also earned the unique distinction of “Donkey Of The Day” on behalf of The Breakfast Club.
Watch their video above.