▁charged ▁on ▁a ▁variety ▁of ▁financial ▁irregular ities ▁stem ming ▁from ▁a ▁government ▁investigation ▁of ▁pay ola ▁in ▁the ▁record ▁industry . ▁T arn opol ▁was ▁ultimately ▁cleared ▁by ▁an ▁app ell ate ▁court ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 7 . ▁▁ ▁The ▁legal ▁costs ▁of ▁the ▁case ▁dra ined ▁the ▁label ' s ▁resources ▁and ▁seriously ▁hand ic apped ▁T arn opol ' s ▁ability ▁to ▁produce ▁and ▁promote ▁records . ▁Comp ounded ▁by ▁a ▁growing ▁conflict ▁with ▁the ▁management ▁of ▁Brun sw ick ' s ▁key ▁recording ▁artists , ▁T arn opol ▁was ▁forced ▁to ▁sell ▁off ▁Brun sw ick ' s ▁publishing ▁wing ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁keep ▁the ▁record ▁label ▁finan cially ▁af loat . ▁According ▁to ▁former ▁Un i ▁Records ▁head ▁Russ ▁Reg an , ▁T arn opol ▁was ▁em otion ally ▁dev ast ated ▁by ▁this ▁series ▁of ▁events ▁and ▁was ▁never ▁the ▁same ▁man ▁afterwards . ▁ ▁One ▁of ▁the ▁highlight s ▁of ▁the ▁federal ▁tax ▁fra ud ▁trial ▁of ▁T arn opol ▁and ▁the ▁other ▁Brun sw ick ▁execut ives ▁came ▁when ▁Eug ene ▁Record ▁of ▁the ▁Chi - L ites ▁test ified ▁that ▁he ▁had ▁been ▁assault ed ▁during ▁a ▁contract ▁neg ot iation ▁at ▁Brun sw ick ' s ▁New ▁York ▁office . ▁Record ▁stated ▁that ▁he ▁asked ▁T arn opol ▁for ▁advance ▁money ▁on ▁a ▁recording ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 2 ▁when ▁an ▁associate ▁of ▁T arn opol ' s , ▁whom ▁Record ▁identified ▁as ▁Johnny ▁Roberts , ▁asked ▁T arn opol