Gogol Bordello: Eugene Hütz, 'Start Wearing Purple' Songwriter, Stole $500,000 From Band, Alleges Ex-Guitarist Oren Kaplan

Gypsies have long been stereotyped as scam artists, and although we don't want to play into unfair generalizations, it seems that gypsy punk Eugene Hütz may be running a shady operation of his own. A former guitarist for Hütz's band Gogol Bordello has accused the vocalist and guitarist of stealing away more than $500,000 from his fellow band members. 

Oren Kaplan, who left the band in 2012, claims that the band's leader took the half-million from the bank account of Gogol Bordello and deposited it into funds for other businesses that only Hütz had claims to. Kaplan and Hütz reportedly shared responsibility for accounting for the band until 2009, when the latter became solely responsible. It was around then, Kaplan alleges, that Hütz began paying himself double salary. He claims the bandleader made $130,000 versus Kaplan's $57,000.

He also accused his former bandmate of conniving to make more off of royalties by taking advantage of him. When Kaplan's mother died, Hütz played the sympathetic friend and encouraged the guitarist to take a break, which Kaplan took him up on. Coincidentally, the band then landed a recording deal for a Coca-Cola commercial, a huge contract that Kaplan didn't see any of because he wasn't in the band for the recording. When he began to get suspicious, he alleges Hütz got other bandmates to sign "consent forms" to kick Kaplan out of the band. 

Now Kaplan is suing Hütz for $950,000, for both money owed and personal damages. However the lawsuit also looks out for the rest of the Gogol Bordello, demanding an additional $950,000 for them as well. 

Hütz and Gogol Bordello haven't released a comment yet.