A former resident of the San Fernando Valley who worked as a producer and accountant in the film industry was arrested on charges that he defrauded victims, including independent film projects, out of more than $12 million. The arrest follows a 21-count federal grand jury indictment alleging wire fraud, money laundering, and aggravated identity theft.
David Raymond Brown, 39, also known as “David Brown Levy” and “David Addison Brown,” is accused of misappropriating funds from film production companies for personal use. He allegedly caused payments to be made for COVID-19 testing through Hollywood Covid Testing LLC—a company he operated—for services that were never provided or had already been paid for.
Brown appeared in United States District Court in Columbia, South Carolina. His arraignment in Los Angeles is expected in the coming weeks.
The indictment outlines that between December 2021 and August 2025, Brown used several methods to defraud his victims. He reportedly transferred money from film production accounts to his own accounts under the guise of legitimate expenses. To further conceal these actions, he used false or duplicative invoices.
In addition to misusing funds from film companies, Brown allegedly deceived two individuals identified as Victim 1 and Victim 2. For Victim 1, Brown promised to pool money for real estate investments but contributed little himself while using the victim’s funds for personal expenses. With Victim 2, he claimed their contributions would finance loans for film projects through Film Holdings Capital but instead spent much of the money on personal expenditures and repaying earlier victims.
Brown also presented a falsified IMDb profile to Victim 2 to bolster his credibility in the industry. He concealed facts about prior fraud accusations and lawsuits against him from both victims.
Prosecutors allege that instead of investing as promised, Brown used the stolen funds to purchase luxury vehicles—including a Mercedes-Benz G-Wagon and three Teslas—make mortgage payments on his home, pay for home remodeling such as a $99,000 pool installation, buy a house for his mother, make family payments, cover private school tuition fees, spend over $70,000 on surrogacy services, and make nearly $1 million in payments related to an unproduced film project about Patricia Hearst’s kidnapping by the Symbionese Liberation Army.
To hide misuse of funds from Victim 2 and maintain appearances at Film Holdings Capital, Brown allegedly induced a third party into signing backdated loan documents and withheld health insurance payments from employees’ payroll without maintaining their coverage.
Authorities report that total losses exceed $12 million.
“An indictment contains allegations. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.”
If convicted on all counts, Brown faces up to 20 years in prison per wire fraud charge, up to 10 years per money laundering count, and mandatory consecutive sentences for aggravated identity theft charges.
The case is being investigated by the FBI and IRS Criminal Investigation units. Assistant United States Attorneys Alexander B. Schwab (Deputy Chief of the Criminal Division), Joshua O. Mausner (Terrorism and Export Crimes Section), and Sarah E. Spielberger (Asset Forfeiture and Recovery Section) are prosecuting.
