Why is Hollywood always so desperate for money, so much so, they are willing to break the law and damage innocent people in the process. A prime example of this is Joseph Medawar, who was featured on the program "American Greed" this week. The so-called Hollywood producer, paid a U.S. senator, Dana Rohrabacher, $23,000 for a 30-year-old screenplay, which granted him unfettered access to political circles in Washington, including crooked George W. Bush, who he took a photo with.
Medawar erected a website with a trailer, for a yet to be filmed show entitled "Department of Homeland Security" and used it to solicit money from investors. He then fleeced a California church congregation, requesting money from them as investments in his company, hinging on the yet to be released television series, backed by Washington and Hollywood, which is never a good combination. Hollywood and Washington together are crooks leading the crooks.
Medawar played on the church's patriotism, charity and Christianity (much like Bush deceitfully did during his presidency) and fleeced them out of $3,000,000. Church members took out second mortgages on their homes, while others gave out of their hard earned life savings, as they believed Medawar and his claims of a positive return on their investments, which would also allegedly be helping the country. Medawar even went so far as to release false financial reports to church investors, claiming the filmed show and company was now worth $200,000,000, when neither were worth the paper the statement was printed on.
It was all lies. Medawar never filmed one single episode and the trailer posted on his website to lure investors, contained stolen, copyrighted infringing footage, he pilfered from others and pieced together, then added graphics over, with the title "Department Of Homeland Security" to customize it (he must be related to Madonna).
Churchgoers lost their lifesavings and homes. Medawar was arrested, but due to his political connections, received 1 year in prison, which amounted to even less time served and has not repaid a single dime, racking up $5,000,000 in losses. He squandered investors' money on lavish trips, living in a $40,000 per month Beverly Hills mansion he leased and shopping on Rodeo Drive for expensive clothes and jewelry.
Once again, the government, via the FBI, DOJ and Congress, failed the American people, as anyone that engaged in such damaging crimes against the public, should have served at least 20-years in prison and be forced to make financial restitution.
The ironic part is, with the $5,000,000 he stole from investors, he could have filmed the show and it could have been successful. However, Medawar, did not have the talent, ability or know how to write, prudently film, hire actors at a reasonable fees and shop the show. It's always the ones without the creative talent doing the stealing.
