Big Wake Weekend Bounces Back, But New Allegations Emerge Against Embattled Promoter

WHEATLAND (CBS13) – One year later, Bob Richards is back promoting his Big Wake Weekend event.

"The amount of support has been nothing short of overwhelming, and that was going to be the only way we pulled this off based on everything that's going on," Richard said.

And there are plenty of people who say this weekend's event, even in a new location, was a big success. As the stage crew breaks down their equipment after this weekend's event, they are hoping they will be back next year to set it all up again.

But CBS13 spoke to Gabriel Garza, owner of Red Eye Protection security services, who said in a phone interview that he's getting shorted.

Garza says he signed a contract with Richards to pay him $6,000 to work the three day event and was only paid $2,500.

"When I take a hit of $3-$4,000 dollars, and put up thousands of my own money … yeah, it's a big strain," Garza said.

This allegation follows lots of legal trouble for Richards. He's out on bail following an arrest by the Placer County Sheriff's Office for fraud stemming from last year's Big Wake Weekend in Folsom.

One vendor alone claims they're owed $200,000. Richards admitted to CBS13 he wrote bad checks then.

"We have a contractual dispute that should have been resolved in civil court," Richards said.

But Richards says he doesn't plan on getting into any more trouble.

"Everything you see out here was paid up front," Richards said.

But Garza is one who feels like he's just another company being taken advantage of all over again.

"If he couldn't pay my rate, [there are] people out there who are charging him thousands upon thousands of dollars and I don't see how he could have possibly paid them," Garza said.

Garza says he will look into taking legal action against Richards.