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Robin DiMaggio, former “Arsenio” music director, convicted of embezzling

(Photo: Still frame from YouTube)

A drummer who once worked as a musical director for the Arsenio Hall Show was convicted of embezzling hundreds of thousands of dollars from a children’s charity three years ago.

Robin DiMaggio, 48, pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud after admitting to funneling around $750,000 from a charity concert that was intended to benefit homeless children.

The money was supposed to pay artists and other expenses associated with the concert, NBC News reported last year. But instead of paying them, prosecutors say DiMaggio used the money to pay alimony to his former wife. He also used the money to buy a $24,000 car for his son and a $35,000 car for his mother, federal officials said in a release on Wednesday.

The sponsor of the foundation caught wind of DiMaggio’s tactics and filed a civil lawsuit against him in state court. DiMaggio filed for federal bankruptcy protection in 2017; in his filing, he falsely said he had not made alimony payments or given any gifts in excess of $600 in value, according to prosecutors.

DiMaggio is scheduled for setencing next March. He faces up to 20 years in prison, though he will probably get little to no prison time after agreeing to plea guilty and waive his right to a trial or appeal.

DoMaggio served as the musical director for the reboot of the “Arsenio Hall Show,” which aired in syndication mostly on stations formerly owned by Tribune Media. The show, which was green lit in 2013, was canceled in 2014 due to low ratings.

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About the Author:

Matthew Keys

Matthew Keys is an award-winning journalist with more than 10 years of experience covering the business of television and radio broadcasting, streaming services and the overall media industry. In addition to his work as publisher of The Desk, Matthew contributes regularly to StreamTV Insider and KnowTechie, and has worked for several well-known news organizations, including Thomson Reuters, McNaughton Newspapers, Grasswire, Comstock's magazine, KTXL-TV and KGO-TV. Matthew is a member of IRE, a trade organization for investigative reporters and editors, and is based in Northern California.

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