Producer in $1.3-Million Fraud Starts 2-Year Sentence

After thanking the judge for his patience, self-styled movie producer George Le Fave surrendered Monday to begin a much-delayed two-year prison term in connection with a scheme in which investors lost $1.3 million.

Le Fave, 43, of Pasadena was taken to County Jail to await transfer to the minimum-security California Institution for Men in Chino after a brief appearance before Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Gordon Ringer.

“Thank you for being patient with me,” Le Fave told Ringer, expressing gratitude to the judge for postponing the start of his sentence so he could try to partially repay his 110 investors, many of whom were schoolteachers or retirees from Burbank, Glendale and Pasadena.

However, Deputy Dist. Atty. Robert M. Youngdahl, who prosecuted the case against Le Fave, said later, “It’s been five years since the first search warrant was executed and he hasn’t paid anybody back.”

Bankruptcy Move

Noting that Le Fave has declared bankruptcy, the prosecutor added, “He didn’t even go out and get a job selling suits. . . .”

Further, Youngdahl added, two dozen people have come forward in recent months with information about additional investment schemes in which Le Fave may have been involved while he was awaiting sentencing in this one. He said an investigation into Le Fave’s activities is continuing.

Last week, Le Fave was sued in Los Angeles federal court by a father and son who claim that they were duped into investing $325,000 in a wide range of entertainment projects that never materialized.

Le Fave, who had promised investors a return of up to 40% from such productions as an animated television cartoon called, “The Bear That Slept Through Christmas,” pleaded no contest in 1982 to six felony counts of unlawfully selling securities.

Sentencing Delays

His case drew attention after his sentencing hearing was delayed 24 times, mostly at the request of his attorney, Howard L. Weitzman, who had scheduling conflicts with other cases. Weitzman defended auto maker John DeLorean on cocaine-trafficking charges and is representing Cathy Evelyn Smith on murder charges in the drug overdose death of comedian John Belushi.

The hearing--one of the longest in memory in Los Angeles Superior Court--finally began in October, and sentence was imposed Nov. 18. Youngdahl, who had asked that Le Fave be given the maximum six-year sentence, said he expected him to serve only one year.