This is one for the books. In 2016 I wrote about a movie called “In an LA Minute” that had been shut down while shooting in Savannah, Georgia. It involved a movie producer and two music producers, one of whom was named Michael Flanders. The movie eventually was released last August and made a stunning five thousand and four dollars. Yes, a total of $5,004.
Three years later, the SEC has indicted all three on charges of fraud. The SEC says the three alleged con men conned investors in that movie. Ha! “L.A. Minute” was had that non starter release, no one ever knew about, most forgot about it. I sure did.
This is where it gets good. A couple of weeks ago, Flanders had a mutual friend call me and ask if I could take down my 2016 story. It was affecting his business, and nothing had ever come of the story. Flanders himself called and asked me to take it down. My story was always coming up when someone Googled his name. As gesture of good will in the new year, I said OK, why not? I took down the story.
Imagine my surprise this evening to get a press release from the SEC. They indicted these three schmoes. They’re saying Flanders induced two people to invest money into a movie that had no other investors, then kept $28,500. It’s not even a lot of money, really. But look at the way he played me. The guy is smooth. He was lying in December 2016 when I published the original story. He certainly knew a couple of weeks ago that the SEC was going to indict him.
I hope the SEC makes their case stick.
Anyway, when you think of it, Mel Brooks was really prescient with “The Producers.”
I’ve republished the original article, and you can read the SEC indictment at the link above.
