The president of a North Carolina-based entertainment production company has agreed to plead guilty to additional federal fraud charges. David Ozer, 59, from Roselyn Heights, New York, is accused of misappropriating over $182,000 from investors in various television productions. This follows his previous guilty plea earlier this year for embezzling more than $200,000 from a television production.
Ozer has agreed to plead guilty to one count of wire fraud, which could result in a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. He had already pleaded guilty to another wire fraud charge on October 22.
Ozer is expected to appear in the United States District Court in Los Angeles on January 24, 2025. As part of his previous plea agreement, he admitted to being the president and producer at Strong Studios Inc., located in Charlotte, North Carolina. He confessed to defrauding Ravenwood-Productions LLC by misappropriating around $214,486 intended for the production of "Safehaven," a supernatural thriller series. Ozer allegedly created fraudulent accounting records and forged documents purportedly from his accountant.
Following news of Ozer’s initial plea agreement, more victims came forward. In his new plea agreement filed today, Ozer admitted to enticing two victims into loaning him money for a series titled “Endangered,” promising them executive producer credits. He also solicited funds from another victim for script development that was never written or paid for. Instead, he misappropriated approximately $182,500 from these victims.
To cover up the misuse of funds, Ozer reportedly created fake documents including falsified bank records and forged correspondence from another producer.
Ozer's sentencing for his first fraud case is scheduled before United States District Judge Stanley Blumenfeld Jr. on January 28, 2025.
The FBI is conducting the investigation into this matter. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Alexander B. Schwab and Matt Coe-Odess.