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Man says 4 vehicles for Justin Bieber in Coachella — but Newport Beach owner says they were instead stolen

April 17, 2026

The owner of a Newport Beach rental company said he was the victim of a scam that resulted in four Moke electric vehicles — open-air cars somewhat resembling golf carts — getting stolen ahead of the Coachella music festival after he received a last-minute rental request from a man who claimed to be working with singer Justin Bieber’s team.

Chad Marta, who owns Newport Beach Moke, said on the evening of April 9, a Thursday, a man said he was with a company that needed four Mokes for the festival.

After finding what appeared to be his legitimate business online, Marta arranged to have the vehicles delivered the next day to a few miles from the festival grounds.

“It seemed up-and-up on the front end,” Marta said.

Two white Mokes and a pink and a green one were dropped off. Marta was staying at a nearby property in the desert so he could respond quickly if the vehicles needed maintenance during the festival.

The renter told him a $20,000 wire deposit, for the delivery and rental fees, had missed a processing deadline Friday but would arrive the following morning, Marta said. Although uneasy, Marta said he chose not to cancel the rental.

“I thought it wouldn’t look good to pull the Mokes when they needed them,” he said.

Later that Friday, Marta said, he checked the vehicles’ locations using hidden Apple AirTags and noticed one of the Mokes was traveling westbound on the 10 Freeway, away from the festival grounds. When he called the renter, Marta said, he was told the movement was a mistake and that his company’s security was keeping tabs on the vehicles.

Concerned, Marta drove to the drop-off location, where he discovered the remaining three vehicles were also gone. He called 911 and met deputies at the site to report a theft in progress, he said.

The Riverside County Sheriff’s Department did not return a reporter’s messages.

Marta continued tracking the vehicles as they moved south toward the U.S.-Mexico border. By the weekend, the tracking signals stopped updating.

As of Thursday evening, April 16, the AirTags were showing the same location in Mexico, leading Marta to believe they had been removed from the vehicles.

Marta said he never received the deposit payment. The four vehicles, in total, are valued at more than $150,000 and are insured, he said.

“I’m just beside myself,” Marta said. “You can’t trust anyone nowadays.”

Newport Beach Moke owner Chad Marta said the vehicles are compact, open-air electric vehicles popular in beachside communities such as Newport Beach and used at large events like at festivals. (Photo by Chad Marta) — Newport Beach Moke owner Chad Marta said the vehicles are compact, open-air electric vehicles popular in beachside communities such as Newport Beach and used at large events like festivals. (Photo by Chad Marta)

Newport Beach Moke has been in business for about five years, and Marta said he has previously rented vehicles for events outside the city, including for Coachella, where his vehicles were used for brand promotions.

Marta said the incident will likely lead to stricter rental policies, including more extensive background checks for long-term or out-of-area bookings, as he works to recover from the loss.

“We’ll survive,” he said. “We’ll get through this.”

Man says 4 vehicles for Justin Bieber in Coachella — but Newport Beach owner says they were instead stolen Orange County Register

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Man says 4 vehicles for Justin Bieber in Coachella — but Newport Beach owner says they were instead stolen

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