Jeff Monser, co-founder of the California Roots Music and Arts Festival (“Cali Roots”), has filed a complaint alleging that his longtime business partner Dan Sheehan engaged in fraud, breach of fiduciary duty, and conversion in order to deprive him of his ownership stake in the popular reggae festival.
According to documents obtained by World Music Views, the complaint states that Sheehan repeatedly misrepresented the existence of a third-party buyer, LIVECO, claiming the company was purchasing Cali Roots. According to Monser, those claims were false.
“To the contrary, when Dan Sheehan made these statements, he knew they were false and intended for Monser to rely on these statements in inducing Monser to sign,” the filing asserts.
On May 1, 2023, Monser asked Sheehan whether Cali Roots had additional funds in its operating account that would be shared following the alleged sale. Sheehan allegedly responded: “No. Cali Roots is pretty stretched right now and will probably use every cent to pay for this year. Which is why I want to get this deal done asap.”
The lawsuit claims Sheehan used existing Cali Roots funds—rather than any external investment—to carry out what was presented as a buyout backed by LIVECO. “There was no pending purchase of Cali Roots by LIVECO or any other third-party buyer,” the complaint states.
To bolster the deception, Sheehan allegedly hired law firm Duggan Bertsch to draft documents and send them directly to Monser, “to mask his own role … to make it look as though the documents were coming from the third-party buyer LIVECO when they were in fact sent … solely at the direction of Dan Sheehan.”
Even after Monser signed the redemption agreement, Sheehan allegedly continued the ruse. On May 9, 2023, he emailed Monser claiming: “Live Co is requesting your banking details. Can you send those over?” Monser later received payment, but the funds came directly from Cali Roots’ own account, not LIVECO.
The filing concludes bluntly: “Currently, there is no evidence that any transaction with LIVECO was pending or executed … Dan Sheehan continuously and over a period of months … represented that both he and Monser were to sell their interests in Cali Roots to LIVECO in a market-based transaction, despite his knowledge that no such transaction was pending.”
Monser is seeking rescission of the agreement, restoration of his ownership stake, disgorgement of Sheehan’s profits, and punitive damages. He alleges Sheehan acted with “malice and fraud within the meaning of Civil Code § 3294 by knowingly and intentionally concealing from Plaintiff that he never had an offer to purchase Cali Roots from LIVECO.”
The complaint further seeks to establish a constructive trust over Cali Roots, arguing it is inequitable for Sheehan to “wrongfully hold” Monser’s rightful share.
At the heart of the lawsuit is Monser’s claim that the supposed sale to LIVECO was nothing more than a scheme to strip him of his stake: “Dan Sheehan’s sole intent was to fraudulently induce Monser to sign the alleged buy-out agreement in an effort to deprive Monser of his ownership interest in Cali Roots under these false pretenses.”
Settlement Talks and Trial Date
Despite the litigation, local reporting suggests that settlement discussions are ongoing. Still, the court has set a trial date of June 8, 2026, leaving plenty of time for pre-trial battles.
The Monterey County Weekly noted that discussions valued Cali Roots at up to $13 million during negotiations with LiveCo. Yet in April 2023, Sheehan bought out Monser’s stake for $1.6 million—a figure Monser now argues was based on deception.
Sheehan says “Jeff got his money from us, we were left holding the bag on a festival that lost a whole bunch of money.”
Cali Roots has established itself as one of the biggest reggae concert brands in the U.S. since 2010, drawing tens of thousands of fans and hosting performances from the genre’s biggest stars.
The 2025 Cali Roots festival held in May, included performances by headliners Slightly Stoopid, Dirty Heads, and T-Pain, with a diverse lineup featuring artists like Atmosphere, SOJA, Steel Pulse, Common Kings, Collie Buddz, The Movement, Buju Banton, Tarrus Riley, Anthony B, The Hip Abduction, Mike Love, and Eli-Mac.
The trial is scheduled to begin June 8, 2026.
