Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

Electric Daisy Carnival producer indicted in Los Angeles corruption scandal

Best Of Steve Marcus 2011

Steve Marcus

Kimberly Moore, Caitlin McGinley and Becca Wick of Portland, Ore., dance to the music of DJ Roger Sanchez during the Electric Daisy Carnival at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Friday, June 24, 2011.

Best of Electric Daisy

Dina Bronshteyn,31, of Orlando, Fla. jumps on lighted rings during the Electric Daisy Carnival at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway June 24, 2011. Launch slideshow »

The producer of the Electric Daisy Carnival, which last summer attracted about 200,000 fans to a rave at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway, is one of six men indicted in a corruption scandal in California, the Los Angeles Times reports today.

Pasquale Rotella, CEO of Insomniac Events, which produces the Electric Daisy Carnival and other raves around the country, pleaded not guilty Friday in a California court to charges of conspiracy, bribery and embezzlement, according to the Los Angeles Weekly.

Rotella is one of six men snared in the corruption scandal, which revolves around the publicly owned Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.

According to court documents, Rotella and another promoter, Reza Gerami, are accused of paying in excess of $1.8 million in private fees to a former Coliseum events manager, Todd DeStefano, to continue staging events they promoted at the stadium.

DeStefano, who was also indicted in the scandal, negotiated the contracts to favor the promoters, saving them at least $1 million, the court documents indicate.

Gerami is also a frequent performer at Las Vegas clubs, under the moniker DJ Reza.

Patrick Lynch, Antonio Estrada and Leopold Caudillo also were indicted in the scandal.

The Electric Daisy Carnival was staged in June 2011 for the first time in Las Vegas. Promoters estimated the event, which features the world’s top electronic dance musicians, generated a $136 million impact for the local economy.

Promoters announced in October they planned to bring the Electric Daisy Carnival back to Las Vegas again this summer.

The Electric Daisy Carnival was previously held at the Coliseum in Los Angeles, but left after facing scrutiny in the death of a 15-year-old girl at the event in 2010.

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