The California man has something “attractive” to do. Federal prosecutors have charged Charles Hensley with dozens of fraud charges, alleging that he defrauded investors by falsely claiming he was with Desilu, a manufacturing company. i love lucy and the original a grave road.
According to the charges, Hensley involved a Los Angeles animation studio and post-production company, an Israeli internet service provider and a development company, unnamed in court documents, along with 21 other people in the scheme. , which ended in August 2018. Ministry of Justice presented on Wednesday. He allegedly defrauded investors of approximately $596,000 and, in some cases, entire companies.
The Department of Justice charged Hensley in California federal court with 11 counts of wire fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft. He faces up to 20 years in prison for each wire fraud charge, plus a mandatory two-year sentence for identity theft.
“Hensley falsely stated to investors that he had acquired the rights to the Desilu brand, made famous by Desi Arnaz and Lucille Ball, co-founders and spouses of Desilu Productions, Inc., and their long-running television show ‘I Love Lucy’ . ‘. per. “-She said in the complaint. “Hensley attracted investors by saying that she was reviving the Desilu brand through Desilu Studios, which was supposed to be a modern entertainment company involved in film and television production, merchandising, streaming content, theme parks and cinemas.
Hensley maintained that his company was “on an accelerated trajectory with strategic acquisitions of revenue-generating assets” and that he would pursue an initial public offering in 2018, prosecutors said. He offered shares in Desilu, which he said were valued at more than $1 billion, in some cases in exchange for ownership of the companies, telling investors they could sell the shares at a profit after the IPO. The action was, in fact, useless.
In the document, Hensley falsely said that Desilu is strategically targeting companies to implement a multifaceted business plan that mimics Disney and Universal Studios. He also said the company will release up to five feature films a year, with distribution partners Paramount, Lionsgate and Netflix, and is developing a streaming platform. Hensley reportedly told investors that profits from merchandise sales would fund the effort.
The Justice Department alleged that Hensley used the investments for personal gain, including buying an auto loan company and a pawn shop and extravagant trips to Las Vegas. It is unknown if he is in prison. He could not be found for comment.
In July, producer and former actor Jason Van Eman was sentenced to 21 years in prison for defrauding investors of more than $60 million. Van Eman, which operates as Weathervane Productions, has offered funding to investors looking to produce independent films, Broadway shows and music festivals, among other projects. He told his victims that he would match any contributions and use the principal to obtain funding from financial institutions, the Justice Department said.
Source: Hollywood Reporter
Camila Luna is a writer at Gossipify, where she covers the latest movies and television series. With a passion for all things entertainment, Camila brings her unique perspective to her writing and offers readers an inside look at the industry. Camila is a graduate from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) with a degree in English and is also a avid movie watcher.
