Ex-Third Eye Blind Guitarist Claims Forgery And Fraud By Former Band

12/18/2001 7:00 AM, Yahoo! Music
Kastle

(12/18/01, 7 a.m. ET) -- Former Third Eye Blind guitarist Kevin Cadogan has made public documents that allegedly prove that his signature was forged on the contract between the band and its label, Elektra Entertainment, according to an email sent by the guitarist to LAUNCH. Cadogan also has reportedly issued documents that explain his "belief of deceit at fraud against him by Third Eye Blind band members," band management, and others.

The shot is the latest in an ongoing battle between Cadogan and Third Eye Blind, stemming from his departure from the group after a performance at the Sundance Film Festival in Salt Lake City, Utah in January, 2000.

He filed suit in June of that year, claiming negligence, breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty, and conspiracy to perpetuate a fraud. Cadogan claims he was promised 50 percent ownership of the band in 1993, but vocalist Stephan Jenkins was given 100 percent, unbeknownst to the guitarist. He further alleges that $350,000 of a $1 million loan from Elektra Entertainment was transferred from the band's bank account to Jenkins's "private account without prior notice or approval by [Cadogan]."

A spokesperson at Elektra Entertainment had no knowledge of this latest legal maneuver. However, Third Eye Blind bassist Arion Salazar expressed his disgust for Cadogan's legal moves to LAUNCH earlier this year. "It's a big waste of our time, man," he said. "It's a story that's just been done to death. There's a guy in a band, it's not working out, they try to work it out really hard, you know, really--'Hey, man, let's get it together.' It still doesn't work out and we have to let him go."

The parties are set to appear in court on February 25, 2002.

-- Neal Weiss, Los Angeles

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