NATCHEZ — The Adams County Justice Court has asked for further investigation into a matter of allegedly stolen tickets to a music festival that organizers said cost the event $30,000.

A probable cause hearing was set for Tuesday for the court to determine if Jeremy Fakes and Cedric Ealey should be charged with grand larceny in connection with the case. The hearing was delayed, however, when the county prosecutor asked for further investigation to see if the grand larceny charges were appropriate for the probable cause hearing.

Neither man has been formally charged at this point.

Fakes, who is a candidate for coroner, denies any guilt in the matter, saying Tuesday he is “completely innocent” and was not involved in any alleged theft.

The origins of the case go back to early June, when Sibley Zydeco Festival organizer Natalie Lyles filed a report with the Adams County Sheriff’s Office alleging Ealey had stolen 500 wristband tickets from the festival and that Fakes had been selling them for $15 apiece. The tickets normally sell for $30.

Lyles filed her report June 9.

Fakes, however, had filed a report with the ACSO three days earlier saying he was a victim, only learning after the fact he was in possession of stolen tickets from the festival, which he had purchased for $15 each.

In his report Fakes told investigators he had offered festival organizers the money back but they never met up with him.

The festival was June 5 and 6.

Fakes said Tuesday he believes the effort to have him charged now is an attempt to derail his political campaign and that he was not the only person who had been given the apparently ill-gotten tickets.

“I am not worried about it,” he said.