A Hollywood producer who worked on the Donald Trump biopic The Apprentice has been indicted for allegedly defrauding investors and film production companies of more than $12 million. David Raymond Brown, 39, was arrested on Wednesday and faces multiple charges including wire fraud, money laundering, and aggravated identity theft.
According to a federal grand jury indictment, Brown misappropriated funds from film production companies between December 2021 and August 2025. Instead of using the money for film projects, he allegedly spent it on luxury cars, including a Mercedes-Benz G-Wagon and three Teslas, home renovations, a Subzero refrigerator, and even surrogacy services. He also used funds to buy a house for his mother and pay for private tuition.
Prosecutors claim Brown operated a scheme where he made production companies pay for Covid-19 testing that never occurred, using false invoices from a company he controlled. He also defrauded two individual investors, using one victim's money for personal expenses and repaying earlier victims in a Ponzi-like manner. To gain credibility, he allegedly sent a fake IMDb page to one investor and concealed past fraud accusations and lawsuits.
Brown, who also used the names David Brown Levy and David Addison Brown, appeared in a US District Court in South Carolina and is expected to be arraigned in Los Angeles. If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in prison for each wire fraud count, up to 10 years for each money laundering count, and a mandatory two-year sentence for each identity theft count.
