Parker McCollum fired Joel Schoepf, a member of his touring crew, earlier this month after Schoepf was arrested and charged with online solicitation of a minor under 14 years old.
At the time of the arrest on Nov. 13, Schoepf was working as McCollum’s assistant road manager.
Taste of Country has confirmed with McCollum’s team that the singer terminated Schoepf’s employment on or around the date of his arrest, and that McCollum fired Schoepf immediately upon learning of the allegations against him.
McCollum has not issued any comment about the incident.
Why Was Joel Schoepf Arrested?
Saving Country Music first reported that Schoepf was arrested following a sting operation from the popular but problematic Texas vigilante operation Predator Poachers.
Schoepf allegedly made contact with organization founder Alex Rosen online and met him at a New Braunfels, Texas McDonalds, reportedly believing he was meeting up with a 13-year-old boy. That encounter concluded with Schoepf being arrested by the New Braunfels Police Department and taken to Comal County Jail.
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Taste of Country has confirmed with the jail that Schoepf was taken into custody on Nov. 13. His bond was set at $50,000, and he bailed out of jail the following day.
He has been charged with the second degree felony offense of online solicitation of a minor under 14. Most recently, Schoepf’s legal team submitted a letter of representation and a request for discovery to the court on Nov. 25.
Who is Joel Schoepf?
Schoepf, who is based in New Braunfels, has an extensive background as a tour manager, stage manager and production manager in the Texas country music scene.
His LinkedIn account states that he was McCollum’s road manager for nearly three years, and that he has also served as a guitar tech to the singer since July 2021.
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Schoepf’s LinkedIn also states that he has worked as a production manager for Willie Nelson‘s Luck Reunion Festival since 2012, and that he served as country-rock group Reckless Kelly’s tour manager between 2020 and 2022.
He also spent time working for Cross Canadian Ragweed between 2006 and 2010, and for Cody Canada’s band The Departed from 2011 to 2013.
Schoepf has never faced federal sex crime charges before. His only publicly available arrest history dates back to 2003, when he was charged with possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia in Texas’ Washington County, along with a few vehicle-related charges.
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