Star-Struck Drifter's Rise to 'Celebrity Broker' Goes Astray

He had no car, no education and, seemingly, no prospects.

But Tonken, as he tells the story, was consumed by a craving for contact with celebrity. As a troubled teenager in northern Michigan, he liked to cold-call famous people. He once got Jacqueline Onassis on the phone. He said he spent several months living in Zsa Zsa Gabor's guest apartment -- until their relationship took a bad turn -- having met and charmed the aging actress while trolling the Bistro Garden for a glimpse of the stars.

Almost impossibly, within a few years this star-struck drifter cracked Hollywood's upper reaches as a self-styled "celebrity broker." He acquired the power to move millions of dollars through the charity and political circuits and to land appearances by the likes of Michelle Pfeiffer, 'N Sync, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sylvester Stallone, Rod Stewart, Whoopie Goldberg and even Bill and Hillary Clinton.

And nearly as quickly, Tonken's world collapsed amid claims that he and his associates had defrauded the contributors and stars behind at least a half-dozen planned and actual high-profile fund-raising events. California Atty. Gen. Bill Lockyer recently filed a civil suit accusing Tonken and others of misusing or failing to account for more than $1.5 million in contributions. Lockyer said his staff would consider filing criminal charges in the case.

Federal investigators, according to sources, have since interviewed Tonken about his activities, while Hollywood has been left to wonder why so many of its savvier players were so quick to place their trust in an operator who literally came from nowhere.

"He talked a good story, and he managed to do a few events that had the big stars. That's all it took," said publicist Phillip Lobel. He said he once hired Tonken to find celebrities for an event, only to have him subcontract the work for a small fraction of his $20,000 fee.

In an interview, Tonken said he became "reckless" in juggling funds among events as he scrambled to meet the demands of stars and their representatives, who asked for money for themselves or for their own favored charities in return for appearances. He said he plans to cooperate with authorities and insisted that he didn't drain funds for his own use.