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Warrant Issued For Aspiring Country Artist After He Posted Photos At The CMAs
Ever wonder who the people are that actually attend the CMA Awards? Let me introduce you to a man who so desperately needed to see country music's finest that he was willing to put himself behind bars.
Austin Tanner is the president of ATA Loss Consulting, an insurance claims consulting agency, and aspiring country music artist living in Orange Beach, Alabama. He released his debut single "All We Need" back in March, but in the area he's more well known for a little bitty thing he got caught doing called insurance fraud.
Earlier this year, according to Lagniappe, Tanner was arrested and charged with two counts of first degree insurance fraud, theft of property, and attempted theft. Prosecutors say he routinely overcharged during disputed property loss claims, resulting in losses by both the customers and law firms. He was released on a $20,000 bond after a brief time behind bars and was scheduled to appear at a deposition on Thursday, November 21st.
Here's where things get interesting.
The deposition was abruptly rescheduled Wednesday morning, November 20th. When Tanner's attorney was contacted by Lagniappe, he said the deposition was moved due to the complexity of the case, ongoing investigations, and other legalese, but Austin Tanner's social media paints an entirely different story.
Per the terms of his pre-trial release bond, Tanner is not allowed to leave the state of Alabama without approval from the judge. Tanner was aware of this because in June he was granted permission to travel to Florida for work. Well, the day the deposition was postponed just so happened to be the same day the CMA Awards were held in Nashville, Tennessee and wouldn't you know it, Austin Tanner was not only in attendance but publicly broadcasting to the entire world that he was in Bridgestone Arena for the 58th Annual Country Music Association Awards.
In a social media post, he said:
"Last night was nothing short of magical as we walked the red carpet at the CMA Awards. This moment marked a dream come true! Having my beautiful wife, Skyla, by my side made it even more special. She absolutely stole the show...
To everyone who has supported my music and believed in this dream your encouragement has brought me to this unforgettable moment. Here’s to country music and the stories that bring us all together"
https://www.instagram.com/p/DCpi78Gy9P8/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
I guess some people don't realize that the government can see what you publicly share on social media and the DA's white-collar crime unit was none to pleased to see a man out on bond so blatantly disregarding the restrictions placed upon him by the court.
Clay Rossi, who leads the unit, filed a motion Monday afternoon requesting Judge Michael Windom to revoke Tanner's bond:
"Under Alabama Rule of Criminal Procedure, it is a mandatory condition of bond that the defendant not depart the state without leave of court. [Tanner] did not seek permission to travel to the state of Tennessee and so has intentionally violated a mandatory condition of his bond...
Given that the defendant was well versed in the travel conditions of his bond, and given his public disregard for those restrictions, the state seeks to revoke his bond."
Less than 24 hours after the motion was filed, Mobile County Circuit Judge Michael Windom granted the request and revoked Tanner's bond. A warrant for his arrest was issued and the order states that he will be held in the Mobile Metro Jail without bond until a hearing on Wednesday, December 4th.
This just doesn't make sense to me on so many levels.
Honestly, who wants to go to the CMAs? If you're able to go down and party with the artists than sure, toss on some boots and get to scootin', but why even go if you're just going to sit in the nosebleeds and listen to a few underwhelming performances and pop star features, not to mention pay a pretty penny for it? (Ticket Smarter says prices generally range from $600 to $7,500 depending on seating location.)
Is it worth going back to jail to say you saw Thomas Rhett perform with Teddy Swims? Did you think you were required to start going to industry events because you released one single and want to be a country singer? Did you think just because you describe yourself as "on the cusp of country music fame" on your website that you just simply must get a picture on the CMA Red Carpet to prove your worth? How about just put out a bunch of good music and let that carry you rather than rely on an industry that lifts few artists?
On the other hand, if this guy knows he's guilty and will be going to prison after the trial, I can't really blame him for sneaking away for a date night with the wife. Live it up while you still can, right? But you don't have to post photos of it to social media, that's something you and the Mrs. can take to the grave so it doesn't send you back to the slammer...
If you're into vanilla country music about not having a lot but having everything you need, here's Tanner's debut single, "All We Need".
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mvcFaERbQSM
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