U.S. Attorney E. Martin Estrada | U.S. Department of Justice
The president of a North Carolina-based entertainment production company has agreed to plead guilty to new federal fraud charges. David Ozer, 59, from Roselyn Heights, New York, will plead guilty to wire fraud for misappropriating over $182,000 from investors in television productions. This charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison.
Ozer had previously pleaded guilty on October 22 to another wire fraud charge involving the embezzlement of more than $200,000 from a television production. He is scheduled to appear in United States District Court in Los Angeles on January 24, 2025.
As part of his earlier plea agreement, Ozer admitted to swindling Ravenwood-Productions LLC by misappropriating approximately $214,486 intended for the supernatural thriller series "Safehaven." He created fraudulent accounting records and forged documents during this scheme.
Following the announcement of his first plea agreement, additional victims emerged. In his latest plea agreement filed today, Ozer admitted to deceiving two individuals into loaning him money for a television series titled "Endangered," promising them executive producer credits. Another victim was solicited for funds under the pretense of script development that never occurred.
To cover up these actions, Ozer produced falsified bank records and forged correspondence from another producer. He is set to be sentenced by United States District Judge Stanley Blumenfeld Jr. on January 28, 2025.
The FBI is conducting an investigation into this matter. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Alexander B. Schwab and Matt Coe-Odess.
