A man in New York was sentenced to 34 months in prison on Oct. 10 after admitting that he had defrauded the producers of a Broadway musical. According to one of the producers who attended the sentencing hearing, “Rebecca – The Musical” was never debuted as a result of the man’s actions. After pleading guilty to the white-collar crimes, the accused man was also ordered to pay $68,000 to the play’s producers.
In January 2012, the producers of the musical realized that they needed to secure an additional $4 million to fund their show. The accused man had allegedly told the producers that he was able to secure $4.5 million from four different investors who they later found out were fictitious. During the scheme, the man reportedly asked the producers to reimburse him for various expenses, including for an $18,000 safari trip.
According to reports, the man pleaded guilty to another scheme in July 2013, and his sentencing for those charges is scheduled to take place on Nov. 14. That case involves several different fraudulent activities that caused over $15 million in losses. The activities reportedly took place over a 20-year period while the man was a stockbroker. He could face a maximum prison sentence of 20 years for those charges.
An individual who is being investigated for fraud may want to speak to a lawyer as soon as they learn that they are being targeted for an investigation. Before a person enlists legal assistance, investigators may contact the person directly in an effort to obtain incriminating statements. A lawyer may be able to help field investigator’s questions and protect the interests of the accused person.
Source: Reuters, “NY businessman gets 34-month prison term for ‘Rebecca’ Broadway scam“, Samantha Sunne, October 10, 2014