Film producer David Brown was arrested Wednesday on expenses that he defrauded enterprise companions out of $12 million by creating faux firms and utilizing investor funds to pay his private bills.
Brown, 39, was indicted on 21 counts of wire fraud, cash laundering and id theft. Amongst different issues, he’s accused of organising an organization known as Hollywood Covid Testing LLC and utilizing it to invoice productions for COVID exams that by no means occurred.
Prosecutors allege that Brown additionally swindled buyers in actual property and movie offers, utilizing the cash to purchase a 2025 Mercedes Benz G-Wagon and a sequence of Teslas, a home for his mom, in addition to to pay his mortgage, set up a pool and a Subzero freezer, pay for personal college tuition and to place $70,000 into surrogacy companies.
He’s additionally accused of diverting $970,263 in investor funds to an entity set as much as make a movie about Patty Hearst and her kidnapping by the Symbionese Liberation Military – a mission that didn’t come to fruition.
Brown produced “The Fallout,” a 2021 movie starring Jenna Ortega that gained the grand jury award at South by Southwest. He’s additionally listed as an government producer on “The Apprentice,” the 2024 movie a couple of younger Donald Trump.
Final 12 months, Brown announced the launch of the Display Firm, a manufacturing, gross sales and finance entity.
“I imagine within the energy of storytelling,” he stated on the time. “Our mission is to supply dependable and versatile financing that brings extraordinary tales to life.”
Brown has been repeatedly sued by buyers who accuse him of fraud. The Los Angeles Instances extensively covered the allegations towards him in 2023. Brown denied the allegations to the paper and stated they had been the results of misunderstandings.
Brown used to dwell in Sherman Oaks, however has since moved to South Carolina, the place he was arrested Wednesday. He made an preliminary look in federal courtroom and can later be arraigned in Los Angeles.
Along with producing, he has labored as a unit manufacturing supervisor and a manufacturing accountant.
