Indie producers steal millions

A picture that relates to the story in some way.

I found this interesting for some reason:

https://www.indiewire.com/2019/08/the-tale-producers-federal-money-laundering-scam-jason-van-eman-weathervane-ben-mcconley-1202167278/

Two executive producers, whose credits include the 2018 Sundance hit “The Tale,” are facing federal fraud and money laundering charges for allegedly running a scheme to bilk millions from investors who thought they were backing independent film projects. According to their indictment, the men instead used the money to spend lavishly on themselves: luxury cars, private air travel, real estate, and more.

...

According to the indictment, McConley and Van Eman lured potential investors with the promise of “matching” their investments dollar for dollar, which they claimed to use to secure a loan to pay for the film’s production. The victim would transfer money to accounts controlled by the men, which they would use for their own purposes. Rafael would falsely assure victims about the security of their funds, using Wells Fargo emails and letterhead to write that the funds had been matched and/or lines of credit applied for. He continued to pose as a bank employee following his 2015 termination.

 I don't know why I find this part kind of amusing:

With less than a decade in the industry, Van Eman and McConley built a long list of credits. Many were of the low-budget genre variety like the faith-based “Fishes ‘n Loaves: Heaven Sent” and “The Sound,” a 2017 paranormal horror thriller starring Rose McGowan and Christopher Lloyd.

 Here's something you can do:

Criss said she feels Van Eman may have used his smaller investments in her projects as a means to bolster his reputation. “I do feel like we were a pawn in what he was setting up long-term,” she said in an interview.

Criss is a maker of family-friendly religious movies. I've always been pro-charlatan---at least, I've always liked the idea of being a charlatan. Making a relatively small investment in a religious movie to bolster you reputation seems like a good idea, although I wouldn't do that other stuff these people were indicted for.

Why do people do things like this?