Drummer Robin DiMaggio Allegedly Stole $750K From Charity Foundation, Arrested

Robin DiMaggio, the drummer and onetime musical director of "The Arsenio Hall Show," was arrested last week for wire fraud after he allegedly embezzled $750,000 from a charity concert for homeless children. The report of his arrest was made public Monday night.

According to a Justice Department release, DiMaggio lied to a Bulgarian-based non-profit called the Peace for You Peace for Me Foundation, telling them he would help them organize a charity concert in Bulgaria’s capital to “raise awareness of homeless and displaced children from conflict zones.” On Aug. 5, 2016, the foundation’s financial sponsor allegedly wired $750,000 to a DiMaggio-controlled account as a guarantee for future payments related to artists performing at the charity concert.

After receiving the money, DiMaggio allegedly put the cash in his personal bank account and “used the money to make payments on cars, credit card debt and his living expenses.” The DOJ claimed the 47-year-old also used $251,370 of the funds to buy a home for his ex-wife. According to the complaint, he also wired $150,000 of the funds to a bank account in the name of his company, DiMagic Entertainment, Inc.

DiMaggio, of the Woodland Hills neighborhood in Los Angeles, was released on $40,000 bond. The U.S. attorney's office said late Monday afternoon that he must wear a tracking device pending a preliminary hearing and arraignment next month in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles. If convicted, DiMaggio would face up to 20 years in federal prison.

Trouble for DiMaggio arose when he emailed the foundation’s financial sponsor, stating that “an entire group of managers” believed the charity concert in Bulgaria should be postponed from Oct. 1, 2016 to Dec. 1, 2016, during the Bulgarian winter. When the foundation’s financial sponsor demanded the $750,000 back, DiMaggio wrote back that he’d sent the deposit to the artists as agreed.

According to the complaint, an FBI investigation found that none of the transfers was sent to artists or their management in connection with the charity concert.

In December 2016, the financial sponsor sued DiMaggio in Los Angeles County Superior Court. During his deposition, DiMaggio testified that a third party had used his email account to contact the foundation about the concert and had been responsible for the withdrawal of most of the funds. However, he admitted using $251,370 in funds to buy the Calabasas home for his ex-wife as a partial settlement of his spousal support.

The DOJ release also noted that DiMaggio filed for bankruptcy nine months later.

DiMaggio, who has played with the likes of Paul Simon, Diana Ross, David Bowie, Tupac Shakur and Dr. Dre, wrote the theme song for the LA County Deputy Sheriffs' grads earlier this year. The music publication All About Jazz described him as "a superior percussionist with a deep appreciation for the world's musical styles."