ORLANDO, Fla. – A convicted fraudster whom federal prosecutors once called a “serial con man” has opened a new agency that offers aspiring TikTok and Instagram influencers paid brand deals with major companies like Apple, Nordstrom and Starbucks.
The agency promises social media content creators it will seek a minimum of $300,000 annually in brand deals for the artists, according to copies of contracts obtained by News 6.
In exchange, clients are required to pay the agency upfront fees of as much as $5,000 for what the contracts describe as “litigation support services.”
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Michael Nelson, 51, did not respond to emails and phone calls from News 6 inquiring about his agency. When a News 6 reporter approached Nelson outside an extended stay hotel where he’s living, Nelson hurried inside without answering questions.
Nelson has spent more than 17 years in federal prison following convictions in three states for offenses including wire fraud, computer fraud, bank fraud, money laundering and identity theft, court records show.
Judges have ordered Nelson to pay more than $1.5 million in restitution to past fraud victims, according to court records.
Nelson has not been charged with any new crimes since he completed federal supervised probation last year.
“No more cons,” Nelson said in 2017 interview with News 6 following his release from prison. “(I’m) not ripping anybody off.”
See our previous coverage of Michael Nelson in the player below:
Clients of Nelson’s agency told News 6 that the convicted felon appeared extremely knowledgeable about social media marketing even though his company, Love By Michael Agency, has only been in operation for a few months.
“He sounded like a professional to me,” said Saige Avis, who signed a contract with Nelson in April. “He sounded very confident and poised.”
Avis, who regularly posts videos about her life on TikTok said Nelson’s agency sent her a private message on the social media platform shortly after one of her videos went viral.
“Our team would love to connect with you on some possible brand deals,” the message read. “We represent the brand interests of Nordstrom, Apple, Men’s Wearhouse, Jockey, Todd Snyder, Starbucks, car dealerships, magazines and many others.”
The message noted the agency’s “client commitment” started at $300,000, with the agency collecting a 20% commission.
“I could potentially make some money this way,” Avis said. “So I thought, ‘Let me give it a shot.’”
After meeting with Nelson via Zoom video conference, Avis signed a seven-page “exclusive management agreement” with Nelson’s agency. The document contained numerous punctuation mistakes and grammatical errors.
The contract required Avis to pay the agency $600 in up-front fees. To cover the cost, Avis said she entered into a bi-weekly payment plan with Nelson and has given him $300 so far.
See our previous coverage of Michael Nelson in the player below:
Other prospective clients of Nelson’s agency have received proposed contracts requiring the artists to pay $5,000 up-front for “litigation support services.”
Under Florida law, talent agencies that represent artists who perform on stage, television, radio and motion pictures are prohibited from collecting up-front fees.
Nelson’s company is not licensed to operate as a talent agency in Florida, records show.
The website for Nelson’s agency claims his company is not a “talent agency” as defined by Florida law since it only represents social media influencers.
The Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation, which issues licenses to talent agencies, said it could not definitively conclude whether the statutory definition of “artist” would apply to social media content creators.
“It may depend on the type of content that creators are making or the terms of any agreements,” a spokesperson for the state licensing agency told News 6. “Regardless, DBPR takes instances of fraud and unlicensed activity seriously, and we encourage content creators to file a complaint with as much information as possible so that we may thoroughly investigate these situations and take action as appropriate.”
Chantal Silva and Sadja Jaime Alba said they also received private messages on social media inviting them to sign contracts with Nelson.
“This guy is amazing. He is a great salesman,” Silva said. “He has an answer for everything. He’s so smooth at it.”
Silva and Alba, who work in digital marketing and post TikTok videos of their travels together, spoke with Nelson several times via Zoom video conference.
“He was so genuine,” Alba said. “If this guy is a scammer, it has to be some next-level scam.”
Silva and Alba became suspicious of Nelson after they said he guaranteed they would earn more than $300,000 annually in corporate brand deals despite them currently having an inadequate number of TikTok followers to generate revenue of that size.
The women also said Nelson was aggressive about collecting the $5,000 fee, which he reportedly told them would be used by his “in-house legal team.”
Silva and Alba said those red flags prompted them to research Nelson’s background.
That’s when they found multiple News 6 reports about Nelson’s prior legal issues and questionable businesses.
“I would have never imagined the extent of this,” Silva said.
Although Silva and Alba declined to sign contracts with Nelson, they said his agency initially seemed legitimate because its website displayed the names, photographs, and biographies of several employees.
Two of those employees, Josh Melendez and Mary Clinkenbeard, told News 6 they found the company while searching online job recruitment websites and were unaware of Nelson’s extensive criminal record.
The two employees claim Nelson never paid them for their work at the agency. Melendez eventually quit, while Clinkenbeard said Nelson abruptly fired her.
Avis, the aspiring social media influencer who signed a contract with Nelson’s agency, said a fellow client saw her TikTok videos posted on the company’s website and sent her several News 6 reports about Nelson’s history.
“My stomach just dropped,” Avis said. “It was just the worst feeling ever. It’s really disappointing.”
Avis has since asked Nelson to release her from their contract, claiming his agency never arranged any corporate brand deals on her behalf.
“He’s a smooth-talking individual,” Avis said. “Trust your gut if something seems off.”
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