FUSE TV - Gogol Bordello Guitarist Sues Singer For Stealing $500,000

One year after leaving Manhattan's gypsy-punk outfit Gogol Bordello, guitarist Oren Kaplan is suing frontman Eugene Hutz for allegedly stealing a half million dollars from the band.

According to the recently filed lawsuit, the Gogol Bordello singer "brazenly absconded with approximately half a million dollars from the bank accounts of the Gogol Bordello entities and deposited those funds into the accounts of new companies which are wholly owned by Hutz."

The erstwhile guitarist said he discovered the missing money when his accountant audited Gogol Bordello last fall. The lawsuit also alleges that Hutz surreptitiously shut him out of a Coca-Cola promo deal Gogol Bordello was privy to in order to keep all the profit for himself.

Accountants? Coca-Cola deals? Half a million dollars? Gypsy punk life sure is a lot more profitable than you'd imagine.

While the lawsuit acknowledged that Hutz's reps called these withdrawals "loans," it declared that to be a "disingenuous characterization," especially since Hutz has never paid interest on the money. 

With that in mind, Kaplan is looking for $950,000 from the punk singer. So if Kaplan wins, Hutz better hope the band's latest album—Pura Vida Conspiracy—sells like Thriller.