14 DAY TRIAL // The music industry is constantly changing, and so are those who make it happen. Long gone are the days when producers were just those who sat behind the desk in the studio, mixing beats, having come to mean stars who are even more famous than the artists they work with. Yet not even they are immune to the terrible disease called bankruptcy, and former hitmaker Scott Storch is living proof of that.
Known for high profile collaborations with Beyonce, Britney Spears, 50 Cent, Brooke Hogan and Paris Hilton, Storch has come to learn that, indeed, times are “a-changin’.” He was just arrested for grand theft auto after failing to return a rented Bentley when the expiration date came, according to celebrity gossip website / paparazzi agency TMZ. It took the leasing company no less than 7 months to find the car and then pursue legal action against Storch, the same media outlet explains.
“This one flew under the radar screen for months, but we just learned Scott Storch – formerly a wildly wealthy music producer for the likes of Dr. Dre and 50 Cent – has been charged with grand theft auto. Storch allegedly leased a Bentley but never returned it after the expiration date. It took the leasing company 7 months to find it. Storch pled not guilty in Broward County Court last Friday.” a post on TMZ reads.
However, despite the fact that the producer has been plagued by bankruptcy rumors for more than a year, his attorney says for the same media outlet that the entire “theft” was just a misunderstanding which, of course, will now be clarified in court. “We are disappointed in the decision to take a civil dispute and file it as a criminal charge. There are many facts that, when revealed, will clearly demonstrate that there was no criminal wrong doing on behalf of my client.” Bradford M. Cohen says.
In March 2008, Storch’s yacht surfaced in an auction on eBay, which immediately sparked speculation of the producer going broke. The fact that he had bought the beauty with “4 staterooms, 3 of which have their own jacuzzi bath tubs, 3 crew cabin with their own heads and an immense living room” for $11.9 million (it was later evaluated by Rolling Stone at $20 million), and was asking for it just a little over $1 million also spoke volumes as regards his financial situation at the time. Judging by the latest accusations, it does not seem to have improved.