LOCAL : Payola Suspects Plead Innocent
A one-time major independent record promoter and one of his business associates pleaded innocent in federal court in Los Angeles today to charges stemming from a cash and cocaine payola scam.
Joseph Isgro, 42, who has promoted records by such artists as Michael Jackson, Bruce Springsteen and David Bowie, entered his innocent plea to 51 counts, including racketeering, conspiracy to defraud five record companies and making undisclosed payola payments to radio stations. Isgro also pleaded innocent to conspiracy to distribute cocaine and conspiracy to impede the Internal Revenue Service.
Former Isgro business associate Jeffrey Monka, 31, of Agoura Hills, pleaded innocent to eight criminal charges. Monka is accused of helping set up a sham business to launder money between 1983 and 1985.
The two men and Raymond Anderson, 49, a former Columbia Records executive accused of taking a $70,000 kickback from Isgro, were indicted Thursday.
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