UPDATED, 8:30 AM: The person who prosecutors say used the Desilu Studios title related to Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz’s TV manufacturing firm to lure buyers whose cash he spent on himself pleaded not responsible right now to federal expenses.
Charles Hensley, 68, of Redondo Seashore, faces 11 counts of wire fraud and one rely of aggravated id theft. His trial was set for February 21 in Los Angeles federal court docket. Learn particulars of the case beneath.
PREVIOUSLY, August 10: A Southern California man who allegedly used the “Desilu Studios” title to draw buyers whose cash he later squandered on himself was indicted by a federal grand jury right now in Los Angeles. Charles Hensley, 68, of Redondo Seashore, faces 11 counts of wire fraud and one rely of aggravated id theft.
An arraignment in U.S. District Court docket will occur within the coming weeks.
The alleged scheme impacted many buyers, together with some who wired the $331,000 recognized within the wire fraud counts. Hensley additionally allegedly focused a number of firms within the leisure business. Regardless of his claims that Desilu Studios was valued at greater than $11 billion and Migranade at greater than $50 million, the businesses had been really shell firms with few belongings or none in any respect.
If convicted, Hensley potential faces as much as 20 years in federal jail for every wire fraud rely. The id theft expenses carries a compulsory two-year sentence.
CBS Studios had sued Hensley in October 2018 over the matter, alleging that he tried to enlist the help of Lucie Arnaz in what he claimed was a relaunch of Desilu Studios really was making an attempt to make use of her well-known title to “induce unwitting buyers” in a shell firm. In accordance with that filed in California federal court docket (learn it right here), “CBS is knowledgeable and believes that Hensley by no means supposed to make use of the Desilu title for reliable enterprise functions and, as an alternative, supposed to make use of that title in an effort to induce ‘investments’ into his shell firms.”
Right now’s indictments allege that from August 2017-Might 2018, Hensley efficiently pitched investments in firms he owned — together with Desilu Studios Inc. and Migranade Inc. — which he operated out of places of work in a number of Southern California places. Regardless of his claims that Desilu Studios was valued at greater than
$11 billion and Migranade at greater than $50 million, the businesses really had been shell firms with few belongings or none in any respect, in keeping with the indictment.
Hensley started utilizing the title Desilu in 2016 and allegedly stated he was making new content material for his firm, per the indictment, telling buyers he was rich and backing his enterprise together with his private funds.
In actuality, he had few belongings and was overdrawn on financial institution accounts, the indictment alleges.
It additional alleges that Hensley falsely represented that Desilu Studios was about to go public and that the corporate’s inventory was value greater than its face worth and greater than buyers had been paying and would improve in worth following its imminent preliminary public providing. Prosecutors additionally say Hensley stole somebody’s id to listing as Desilu Studio’s chief monetary officer in providing supplies.
