CANADIAN COUNTY, Okla. - Bass player Mike Myers says Tate publishing stiffed him.
“I've got 22 hours I haven't been paid for,” he said. “$770 dollars.”
Mike is one of more than 800 authors and musicians from all over the world filing complaints with Oklahoma Attorney General Mike Hunter's office.
Thursday, our state's top attorney charging the publisher's founder, Richard Tate and his son, CEO, Ryan Tate, with embezzlement, racketeering, and extortion.
“A Canadian County Judge set their bond at $100,000 each and ordered them to surrender their passports,” AG Hunter said.
The probable cause affidavit claims Tate Publishing took one out-of-state author for more than $25,000 and there are more complaints involving unpaid royalties and payment for services and products never received.
Authorities telling the In Your Corner team money from the sales of books and music was transferred from business accounts to the Tate's personal checking accounts.
Earlier this year Richard Tate telling News Channel 4 he and his company were innocent of any wrong doing and he would not abandon his authors.
“I give you my word. We love our authors,” he said. “We're going to everything we possibly can to find them a good home."
There has been some indication the Tates changed their minds and are launching a new company.
They sent an email to authors and musicians last month, apologizing, and announcing plans to reinstate "full publishing, distribution, and marketing operations immediately."
“I would be very careful because I would have a hard time working for them again,” Myers said.
Remember Tate Publishing has been sued a bunch and lost, told to pay 4 million dollars in judgments to companies who lost money, like Xerox.
Last November Richard Tate said everything was fine with Xerox.
“That`s something we`ll deal with in court that we dispute, but I`m not going to let you turn my conference room into a courtroom,” he said.
Richard and Ryan Tate will get their day in court.
Public Protection Chief, Julie Bays, saying with more than 700 new complaints since January more charges could be on the way.
“Each complaint we will take a good look at and file,” she said. “These were ready to file.”
File complaint with OK Attorney General here.