Home / Arts and Entertainment / Maverick City Music Accused of Racketeering and Royalty Fraud
Maverick City Music Accused of Racketeering and Royalty Fraud
20 Oct
Summary
- Co-founder Tony Brown sues Maverick City Music over buyout agreement
- Claims CEO coerced him with threats and used MC Hammer's brother
- Former member Chandler Moore also sues over alleged royalty theft
In October 2025, the co-founder of Maverick City Music, Tony Brown, filed a lawsuit accusing the Grammy-winning worship collective of racketeering. Brown claims the group's CEO, Norman Gyamfi, coerced him into signing an unfavorable buyout agreement in 2023 with the help of Louis Burrell, the brother of '90s hip-hop star MC Hammer.
According to the lawsuit, Burrell threatened to launch a "character assassination" and "bury" Brown's family in debt unless Gyamfi's preferred terms were agreed to. Brown and his ex-wife, Rebekah Aversano, are now seeking damages under Georgia's Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act.
This lawsuit comes on the heels of a separate fraud claim brought against Maverick City Music by former member Chandler Moore. Moore alleges that Gyamfi orchestrated secret deals and forged his signature to steal millions in publishing royalties.
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Maverick City Music has denied the allegations, with the group's attorney calling Brown and Aversano's lawsuit "baseless." However, the collective has undergone significant changes, with Moore and fellow member Naomi Raine both announcing their departure to focus on solo projects.
As the legal battles continue, Maverick City Music faces an uncertain future, with the co-founder's racketeering claims and the former member's royalty fraud allegations casting a cloud over the once-celebrated worship group.
