An East Greenwich man was found guilty of defrauding a British investor in a scheme centered around the production of a movie based on the HBO Series "Tales from the Crypt", according to Attorney General Peter F. Neronha.
49-year-old John Santilli was found guilty of of obtaining money under false pretenses.
A Rhode Island State Police investigation was launched after the investor's legal counsel alleged Santilli ha ddefrauded their client of $100,000 in a movie production deal gone wrong.
According to the investigation, Santilli had transferred a portion of the seed-funding for production into his personal accounts.
The investigation also determined that he had withdrawn money from company accounts at Twin River Casino, Foxwoods Casino, and Mohegan Sun Casino on several occasions between April 2018 and September 2018.
“Whether it’s swindling hundreds of thousands of dollars from an overseas investor, or a simple email solicitation to an unsuspecting victim, scammers are always finding new, increasingly sophisticated ways to steal from hard-working folks. I’m grateful that justice was served in this case, and hope it serves as a reminder to Rhode Islanders to stay vigilant. And as always, I want to thank the Rhode Island State Police for their partnership in investigating this case and bringing the defendant to justice.” said Neronha.
Santilli is scheduled to be sentenced on December 8, 2023.
