Joseph Medawar

Joseph Michel Medawar (in Arabic جوزف مدوّر, born November 22, 1961 in Beirut, Lebanon) is a Lebanese American financial strategist and investment-banking counselor specializing in Media, Entertainment and related industries,[1] and a film producer.

Early life

Joseph Medawar was born in Beirut, Lebanon, into a Christian family. He immigrated to the United States in 1975 fleeing the war in Lebanon and settled with his family in Palos Verdes, California.

Business Development

Over the past 25 years, Medawar has been responsible for over $500 million in financial transactions. This consisted of acquisitions, mergers, newco's, co-production and production financing, theme parks and events, new film processes as well as biotech and medical industry financing and funding.[1]

Real Estate

Mr. Medawar was also Co-chair for ADG in Los Angeles. ADG is responsible for one of the most exclusive residential development projects in the world, Beverly Park. Mr. Medawar also led the financial and investment initiatives for the new Travertine, LaQuinta Development for ADG near Palm Springs.[1] Additionally, Mr. Medawar co-chaired several large enterprises, whose projects included Universal Studios City Walk Hollywood.[1]

Motion Picture/Entertainment Career

Medawar launched his motion picture career producing the feature film Vendetta (1986) for Concord Entertainment. The same year, Medawar launched First American Film Capital, an independent film production company based in Culver City, California, which produced Hardbodies 2, Pretty Smart and Slaughterhouse Rock.[2][3]

In 1989 Medawar formed the film development and production company ION Pictures. ION Pictures distributed the documentary Champions Forever and The Closer and produced Sleepwalkers (1992).[4]

In 1995, Mr. Medawar, in collaboration with Prince Albert of Monaco, developed Monaco Entertainment Enterprises (MEE). From '95 to '97, MEE primarily focused on regional merger and acquisition investment structuring and consulting, which culminated into financing several motion pictures, events and theme park financing. MEE also acted as sponsoring development and chartering for The World Music Awards.[5]

Legal problems

Medawar was arrested on September 23, 2005 by Special Agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) on charges arising from an investment scheme in which he claimed to investors that his company, Steeple Entertainment, was producing a television series based on the Department of Homeland Security. Complaints had been filed in U.S. District Court in the Central District of California, that Medawar told investors that his show, entitled DHS had the endorsement of President George W. Bush and the real Department of Homeland Security, and that he had contracts to distribute the show in 137 overseas markets. Medawar also told investors that Steeple Entertainment would go public in the near future at a per share price significantly higher than that being paid by investors. The complaints alleged that only a tiny fraction of investor funds were spent by Medawar on anything related to the film production of DHS. In addition, Medawar did not have the endorsement of President Bush or the real Department of Homeland Security. On the contrary, according to the official justice.gov website, Medawar had been told specifically by the actual Department of Homeland Security that he did not have permission to use their name or official seal; had no contracts with overseas markets; and was never in a position to go public.

The vast majority of investor funds raised, reportedly several million dollars from tens of investors, were allegedly diverted to other ventures of Medawar.[6][7][8][9] Alison Ann Heruth-Waterbury, who claimed to be the lead in the television series pleaded guilty to charges of concealing an investment scam related to the show.[10] In May 2006, Medawar pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit mail fraud and income tax evasion for the fake reality TV project.[11] He was found guilty and sentenced to a year and a day in prison and ordered to pay $2.6 million in restitution to the defrauded investors and to perform 3,000 hours of community service. The jail sentence was later reduced to probation. In 2011, a judge reinstated a sentence of 45-months imprisonment for alleged violations on his probation.[12]

In season 2 of its documentary series American Greed, CNBC broadcast in March 2008 an episode consecrated to the affair.[13] under the title "Inside The WorldCom Scam / DHS: Department of Hollywood Scams".[14]

Filmography

Production

Acting

References

  1. 1 2 3 4
  2. ↑ IMDb.com: Hardbodies II page
  3. ↑ IMDb.com: Slaughterhouse Rock page
  4. ↑ http://www.imdb.com/company/co0217434/?ref_=ttco_co_1 Ion Pictures
  5. ↑ Meier Worldwide Intermedia Inc.: Appointment of Joseph Medawar as Member of Advisory Board
  6. ↑ Justice.gov: Hollywood producer arrested in investment scam relating to phony television series about the Department of Homeland Security (September 23, 2005)
  7. ↑ Ben Fritz, Variety: 'DHS' creator meets FBI, IRS (September 25, 2005)
  8. ↑ BBC News: Producer accused of $5m 'TV scam'
  9. ↑ Greg Krikorian, Los Angeles Times: TV series pitch ends in arrest on fraud charges
  10. ↑ Justice.gov: Actress pleads guilty to covering up investment scam related to phony Department of Homeland Security TV show (April 19, 2006)
  11. ↑ Justice.gov: Hollywood producer pleads guilty to running investment scam related to phony DHS TV show (May 16, 2006)
  12. ↑ Los Angeles Times: Producer Joseph Medawar gets longer resentence in scam
  13. ↑ CNBC: American Greed
  14. ↑ Vimeo.com: Excerpts from episode 12 of American Greed on Joseph Medawar
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