John Leslie Hug Stay away from this guy, a conartist who talks about his wife who died some years ago, and his difficult daughter,..He had some career in the 70/ 80's playing uitar in The Greg allman Band, Internet
Reported By:
Nobody —
Sicily Internet United States of America
Submitted:
Sun, March 07, 2010
Updated:
Mon, May 12, 2014
John Leslie Hug
Broadway Blvd / 3rd Street Promenade, Santa Monica
He has a impressive CV and is a good talker. In his late 50's.
He mixes some truth and lies to create confidence and empathy for himself.
He uses the fact that his wife died a few years ago, and his difficult daughter, who's friends steals stuff..
He takes money, borrows music instruments / rent them, for projects, and never show up on time with neither instruments or money.
He has taken thousands of dollars from people, investors and parents producing their kid..John Hug always finds a way to not follow up / pay back, or pay his creditors.
He says he knows " everybody " in the business, worked with Cher, Greg Allman Band, been on Saturday Night LIve - lots of impressive stuff, that is true.
6 Updates & Rebuttals
Dre
San Francisco, California,
John Hug Update May 2014
#7Consumer Comment
Fri, May 09, 2014
I have read all the comments on Hug and would like to add my own, and also contact previous comment makers.
Hug appeared on the San Francisco North Beach scene in 2013. Stayed in cheap hotels and became "friendly" with one of the managers, who then introduced Hug to me. But by the first intro, he had already attempted to borrow 200 bucks from an elder citizen in north beach, who didn't have the cash in his bank to begin with, and all kinds of dumb noise resulted from it, included the closing of the elder fellows account. Soon after I looked up Hug on ripoff. But he was always around, and became more three dimensional, and well, you know....then the little favors came...requests to come over and use my computer, then a lot of calls to "hang out." Soon I had learned that he borrowed around 350. From the hotel manager, then over a hundrd from another north beach friend. But this guy Hug was definitely hurting. He was sleeping on the floor on the managers room...and his usual claims of his daughters expenses were to blame, as he receives SDI income that could easily get him his own room. Finally the manager is going to have a birthday, and Hug altruistically comes up with an idea for an unusual cake for him, and we can all pitch in in a local Italian bakery. Cake, we estimated might be 60 to 70 bucks....being a one off. So I give Hug 20 toward it. Then he let's me know the bakery wants more like 150, so the plan changes to Safeway, with some of our own decorating. Well, Hug had managed to smooze his way into the managers life enough that the guys family invited him along to their birthday dinner for him...so, instead of getting the cake, he goes off to dinner and their cake. He never returns my money. Later, something disparate happened, and he tried to borrow dough from me. I thought, what can I risk and not be burdened by, so I loaned him fifty. This was last Dec., with a promise to pay me mid January because of a Blues Foundation check. He's never paid me back a cent, and never paid back the friend or the manager. This all might seem like small potatoes compared to the big hauls he's made...but I'm just adding my dross, and also letting people know where he can be found...no, he still keeps moving around from hotel to hotel, and the story is is that he got a car, is doing the Lyft driving thing, and sleeping in it. Hard to buy the sleeping in it thing, when we hear he's making around 4 grand a month. So, talk to me. I imagine that Hug will also be able to see this, and may receive an automatic link to this, as he's added a rebuttal. I'd like to help anyone who's had the big problems...and I won't even go into his new requests to borrow music gear...
jodada
Los Angeles, California, United States of America
John Hug did it to me too
#7Consumer Comment
Thu, October 07, 2010
Did the exact same thing to me in 2005, telling a hard luck story, dead wife, troubled teen daughter with medical issues. He borrowed a valuable guitar, promised to return it two weeks later, but didn't. Didn't return calls for a while, then all of a sudden did, at which time he would swear he would make good, passionately, pleadingly promising he would make good, then never called or showed up at appointed times.
I ran into him 18 months later, at a guitar shop, and he looked at me like he had seen a ghost. Swore he would get me the guitar, but wouldn't let me follow him home. And because we were in a store I respect, I didn't want to cause a scene.
At one point, he even said "If I don't show up you can call the cops". But when I called, the cops said that, because I had lent him the item, it wasn't considered stealing and there was nothing they could do. I tried to track him down ever couple of months, but he finally stopped answering calls and texts. I gave up three years ago.
Shortly after he did this, a friend called to tell me he had tried the same scam with him. Multiple friends have since reported he has done the same to to them and/or their friends, borrowing guitars, microphones, outboard gear, anything portable and musical, of value.
The music production credits were true back in the 80s. I worked with him then, and he was legit, hence my trusting him when he materialized 18 years later. No idea if his situation with his late wife and troubled kid are true, but it's irrelevant. He has been scamming people right and left for years.
Inasmuch as he tried to borrow someone else's guitar a few weeks later, while he was theoretically in possession of mine, he clearly didn't need the guitar except to sell or hock. He's a con man and a thief, a sociopath, pure and simple. His name is doodoo in the record business, and if I have anything to say about it, it will get worse. I'm a actively working pro with a clean reputation, so I can spread the word far and wide for years to come.
Report Attachments:
JLM
United States of America
John Leslie Hug fooled me too
#7Consumer Comment
Wed, September 01, 2010
I was a victim of this exact scenario 4 years ago. Same story about the wife and kid, etc. I have in my posession a signed document from Mr Hug, as well as many emails, outlining several things he promised to do for me in exchange for $1500. None of the promised services were ever provided.
I checked him out at the time and based on his credentials was initially confident that he was what he appeared to be. As it turns out, what he really was, and apparently still is despite those credentials, is a person who preys upon those who just want to get a break in the music business and he takes their hard earned dollars in exchange for nothing. Maybe he has done some legitimate work as well, that I can't say.
All I know is I got nothing for what I paid him and he stopped returning my phone calls and emails shortly after he got the money despite his claim that our agreement had no end date.
I can't believe he can still get anyone to fall for his scam. There were alerts all over craigslist a few years back, that was how I knew for sure that I had been ripped off, by reading the warnings, too late for me, from others he had done the same thing to.
John, if you read this: Trust me when I tell you that you are not the only one to have family tragedy happen to you. Using it as any sort of excuse for your "curious behavior" is pathetic. Imagine having personal tragedy compounded with getting ripped off in pursuit of your life-long dream by someone like you. You mention in your rebuttal that you have made mistakes for which you are not proud of. Can you be specific in regards to what is being adressed in this report?
I ask you point blank: have you EVER taken money in exchange for providing no promised services, taken studio time, instruments, etc, from anyone when it was not your right to do so? It's a yes or no question. Pretend like you are on the witness stand, it might be good practice for you.
If you want to make it right with me, I will email you details on how to refund what you took from me in exchange for nothing. Otherwise, your objection to appearing on RIP OFF REPORT is hilarious.
nononsense
Marina Del Rey, California, United States of America
Mr Hug' responds as expected
#7Author of original report
Thu, March 18, 2010
Mr Hug responds to the report about him as expected:
The original report does NOT say his wife did NOT pass away, or that his career did NOT happen. It says: John Hug uses these events to create confidence ( con ) so he can get sympathy enough to start his thing.
The term " conman " is short for " confidence man " someone who has a story, usually a sad one, to create sympathy. Then get loans or initiate projects that falls apart so the investors don't get the promised outcome or money back.
The conman always has some clever exponation ...-it is never his fault.
roanan
Northridge, California, United States of America
John Leslie Hug rebuttal
#7REBUTTAL Individual responds
Wed, March 17, 2010
I have just found the report about me on Ripoff. It infers that I did not have deceased wife, nor did I really work with the recording artists in my resume as I claim.
After so many years working hard with so many great artists, it is disappointing at best to have someone suggest that none of that ever happened. That I perhaps did not work with these people and groups. It is however, even more heartbreaking to have my wife's passing labeled as something "I use" to influence others for potential gain. I'm not sure what to think or to say about that.
There is a reference in the anonymous report to my having produced someone's "kid". As there is only one instance in which I did indeed produce a person who fits this description I assume it is the same one. First off, this project was fully completed and the results were fabulous! Absolutely wonderful and exceeded the expectations of everyone involved including the parents. On the other hand, there were some unresolved financial issues. This is true. 85% of the bills were paid. 15% were not. But why? Because of a con-artist scam-o-rama seedy deal. No.
The report is very aggressive and of course takes on a dark tone just by being on a site named "Ripoff Report". It seems that a less offensive site name might be more suitable if people were truly trying to get to the bottom of specific issues.
Having said all that, I have certainly made mistakes for which I am not proud since my wife passed away. It has been more difficult than I thought it would be and I have lost control of my situation during this time on many instances and have not been able to keep up with all my responsibilities. For this I am sorry. However, I am well aware of the real issues and am working through them one by one.
roanan
Northridge, California, United States of America
John Leslie Hug rebuttal
#7REBUTTAL Individual responds
Wed, March 17, 2010
I have just found the report about me on Ripoff. It infers that I did not have deceased wife, nor did I really work with the recording artists in my resume as I claim.
After so many years working hard with so many great artists, it is disappointing at best to have someone suggest that none of that ever happened. That I perhaps did not work with these people and groups. It is however, even more heartbreaking to have my wife's passing labeled as something "I use" to influence others for potential gain. I'm not sure what to think or to say about that.
There is a reference in the anonymous report to my having produced someone's "kid". As there is only one instance in which I did indeed produce a person who fits this description I assume it is the same one. First off, this project was fully completed and the results were fabulous! Absolutely wonderful and exceeded the expectations of everyone involved including the parents. On the other hand, there were some unresolved financial issues. This is true. 85% of the bills were paid. 15% were not. But why? Because of a con-artist scam-o-rama seedy deal. No.
The report is very aggressive and of course takes on a dark tone just by being on a site named "Ripoff Report". It seems that a less offensive site name might be more suitable if people were truly trying to get to the bottom of specific issues.
Having said all that, I have certainly made mistakes for which I am not proud since my wife passed away. It has been more difficult than I thought it would be and I have lost control of my situation during this time on many instances and have not been able to keep up with all my responsibilities. For this I am sorry. However, I am well aware of the real issues and am working through them one by one.
6 Updates & Rebuttals
Dre
San Francisco,California,
John Hug Update May 2014
#7Consumer Comment
Fri, May 09, 2014
I have read all the comments on Hug and would like to add my own, and also contact previous comment makers.
Hug appeared on the San Francisco North Beach scene in 2013. Stayed in cheap hotels and became "friendly" with one of the managers, who then introduced Hug to me. But by the first intro, he had already attempted to borrow 200 bucks from an elder citizen in north beach, who didn't have the cash in his bank to begin with, and all kinds of dumb noise resulted from it, included the closing of the elder fellows account. Soon after I looked up Hug on ripoff. But he was always around, and became more three dimensional, and well, you know....then the little favors came...requests to come over and use my computer, then a lot of calls to "hang out." Soon I had learned that he borrowed around 350. From the hotel manager, then over a hundrd from another north beach friend. But this guy Hug was definitely hurting. He was sleeping on the floor on the managers room...and his usual claims of his daughters expenses were to blame, as he receives SDI income that could easily get him his own room. Finally the manager is going to have a birthday, and Hug altruistically comes up with an idea for an unusual cake for him, and we can all pitch in in a local Italian bakery. Cake, we estimated might be 60 to 70 bucks....being a one off. So I give Hug 20 toward it. Then he let's me know the bakery wants more like 150, so the plan changes to Safeway, with some of our own decorating. Well, Hug had managed to smooze his way into the managers life enough that the guys family invited him along to their birthday dinner for him...so, instead of getting the cake, he goes off to dinner and their cake. He never returns my money. Later, something disparate happened, and he tried to borrow dough from me. I thought, what can I risk and not be burdened by, so I loaned him fifty. This was last Dec., with a promise to pay me mid January because of a Blues Foundation check. He's never paid me back a cent, and never paid back the friend or the manager. This all might seem like small potatoes compared to the big hauls he's made...but I'm just adding my dross, and also letting people know where he can be found...no, he still keeps moving around from hotel to hotel, and the story is is that he got a car, is doing the Lyft driving thing, and sleeping in it. Hard to buy the sleeping in it thing, when we hear he's making around 4 grand a month. So, talk to me. I imagine that Hug will also be able to see this, and may receive an automatic link to this, as he's added a rebuttal. I'd like to help anyone who's had the big problems...and I won't even go into his new requests to borrow music gear...
jodada
Los Angeles,California,
United States of America
John Hug did it to me too
#7Consumer Comment
Thu, October 07, 2010
Did the exact same thing to me in 2005, telling a hard luck story, dead wife, troubled teen daughter with medical issues. He borrowed a valuable guitar, promised to return it two weeks later, but didn't. Didn't return calls for a while, then all of a sudden did, at which time he would swear he would make good, passionately, pleadingly promising he would make good, then never called or showed up at appointed times.
JLM
United States of AmericaJohn Leslie Hug fooled me too
#7Consumer Comment
Wed, September 01, 2010
nononsense
Marina Del Rey,California,
United States of America
Mr Hug' responds as expected
#7Author of original report
Thu, March 18, 2010
Mr Hug responds to the report about him as expected:
roanan
Northridge,California,
United States of America
John Leslie Hug rebuttal
#7REBUTTAL Individual responds
Wed, March 17, 2010
I have just found the report about me on Ripoff. It infers that I did not have deceased wife, nor did I really work with the recording artists in my resume as I claim.
roanan
Northridge,California,
United States of America
John Leslie Hug rebuttal
#7REBUTTAL Individual responds
Wed, March 17, 2010
I have just found the report about me on Ripoff. It infers that I did not have deceased wife, nor did I really work with the recording artists in my resume as I claim.