Jonathan Lee Smith, the CEO of two Hollywood production companies specializing in the production of reality TV shows, has pleaded guilty to wire fraud for a $ 2 million business loan through forged documents and financial misrepresentation The situation of his company.
Smith who manages or owns Hoplite entertainment and Hoplite Inc., agreed to plead guilty to the crime, with a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison.
“To convince a private lender to fund a $ 2 million loan, Smith falsely presented last year that his two companies had claims of $ 3,348,000, and he put in fake licensing agreements and others Fakes to back up the claim, “said the US Attorney’s Office in Los Angeles, which was pursuing the case, said Tuesday. “In order to convince the private lender to give them additional time to repay the loan, court documents state that Smith falsely stated that the payment was imminent. He also emailed a fake record of a $ 100,000 transfer from Hoplite, Inc. In reality, the loan was never repaid. “
Under the plea agreement, Smith agreed to pay $ 2 million in redress. He is expected to appear in the US District Court in Los Angeles on July 6th. The FBI is investigating the case and US Attorney General Alexander B. Schwab of the Department of Major Frauds is leading the indictment.
Hoplite Entertainment has reality shows like Wrecking Plan, Ink therapy, Geared Up, Culinary Escapes, Charged & Disbard, Hot Spots, Recipe Hunters, Drone Wars, Slope Slap, Back in the Game, Loud Life and We Bought a Vineyard.