Go backstage with The Music and receive FREE:

  • Exclusive members-only editorial, charts
  • Our subscriber-only newsletter
  • Members only competitions to win tickets, experiences and more
  • Access to our street press archives
  • First access to our exclusive limited edition vinyl variants

Thank you for being a part of our community! Enter your email address as verification and you'll be taken backstage right away.

Please ensure that you provide a valid email address.

Ex-Ataris Bassist Gets Jail Time For Real Estate Scam

Staff Writer

He's been sentenced to seven years.

More The Ataris The Ataris

Former bass player for The Ataris, Michael Davenport has been sentenced to seven years in jail after being found guilty of a real estate scam in the US.

A media release from the Southern District of Illinois states the muso will serve time in federal prison for “defrauding thousands of would-be renters and home-buyers” from 2009 to 2016.

Last year, it was reported that as many as 100,000 had been scammed out of $27 million dollars, with Davenport charged with Conspiracy and Fraud after operating a Santa Barbara-based telemarketing business that placed vague ads on Craigslist about pre-foreclosure houses.

When someone requested more information about a listing, they would need to pay a fee of $199, only to later find out the house was either not actually for sale or didn’t exist. The victims were then unable to obtain a refund.

Join 'Backstage Pass', our FREE members program for music fans

Davenport was a member of The Ataris from 1998 to 2005 and did various shows across 2013 – 2014, before coming to Australia with the band in 2016. He was also a member of Versus The World.