David Ozer, a North Carolina-based entertainment executive, has consented to plead guilty to additional federal fraud charges, according to a Justice Department announcement on Thursday. Ozer, 59, admitted to embezzling funds in excess of $182,000 from various television productions. This follows a previous plea for defrauding over $200,000 from a TV series called "Safehaven."
The new criminal behavior involves Ozer's interactions with investors on a separate project titled "Endangered." He enticed two individuals to quickly loan him money, promising them executive producer credits that never materialized. Ozer also siphoned off funds meant for drafting a script, which he falsely claimed was under development. As outlined in his plea agreement, Ozer created a suite of fraudulent documents to cover up his misappropriations.
Ozer's initial appearance before the Federal Court in downtown Los Angeles is scheduled for January 24, 2025. The maximum statutory penalty for the wire fraud count is 20 years in federal prison. Back in October, he had pleaded guilty to a separate charge of wire fraud related to his embezzlement from the "Safehaven" production.
After his earlier plea became public, additional victims stepped forward, leading to the uncovering of Ozer's further indiscretions. “Despite Ozer's claims that the script development was in progress, the victim learned from the screenwriter that the script neither had been written nor was the screenwriter paid by Ozer. Instead, Ozer misappropriated the three victims’ funds, which totaled approximately $182,500,” detailed the Justice Department in their press release. Using forged correspondence and falsified bank records, Ozer continued to deceitfully present the semblance of legitimate transactions.
The prosecution of this case is handled by Assistant United States Attorneys Alexander B. Schwab of the Corporate and Securities Fraud Strike Force and Matt Coe-Odess of the General Crimes Section. The FBI continues its investigation into the matter. United States District Judge Stanley Blumenfeld Jr. is slated to sentence Ozer on January 28, 2025, for his initial fraud case.
For further information, contact Ciaran McEvoy, Public Information Officer at [email protected] or call (213) 894-4465.
