A federal grand jury in Chicago indicted film producer Jason Cloth on July 29 for allegedly defrauding clients of more than $100 million by soliciting investments in purported film and entertainment projects.
Cloth, 60, of Beverly Hills, California, was charged with seven counts of wire fraud in an indictment unsealed Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Chicago. He was arrested the same day in Los Angeles and made his initial court appearance there.
According to the indictment, Cloth operated Canadian-based Creative Wealth Media Finance Corp. From 2019 to 2026, he solicited various clients—including an investment advisor in Illinois—to invest in purported film and entertainment projects or a gaming entertainment investment platform. The indictment states that Cloth fraudulently obtained over $100 million from the Illinois investment advisor, the advisor’s clients, and other investors based on false representations about their investments’ performance and value. It further alleges that Cloth knew at the time that he would use investor money for other purposes, including developing a real estate project in Canada.
The indictment also alleges that Cloth engaged in a Ponzi scheme by using some investor funds to repay prior investors. Prosecutors are seeking forfeiture from Cloth totaling at least $12.25 million related to the identified projects.
The charges were announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; Ryan Whalen, Acting Special Agent-in-Charge of the FBI’s Chicago Field Office; with assistance from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jared Hasten and Sean Hennessy are representing the government.
Each count of wire fraud carries a maximum penalty of up to 20 years in federal prison if convicted. Authorities reminded the public that an indictment is not evidence of guilt; defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.