Film Executive Faces Theft, Tax Charges

An Encino film executive is facing felony theft and tax charges for allegedly bilking a Canadian film company out of more than $300,000 in distribution rights to the movie “Revenge of the Radioactive Reporter,” Los Angeles County prosecutors said Friday.

Howard Gerald Goldfarb, 49, is scheduled to be arraigned in Los Angeles Municipal Court on July 19 on charges of grand theft and failure to file state corporate and personal income tax returns, the district attorney’s office said.

Officials said Goldfarb made an agreement in 1988 with the film’s maker, Pryceless Productions, to distribute the movie for a fee. Goldfarb then allegedly sold the foreign distribution rights for $550,000 to Universal Studios’ parent company, MCA.

Goldfarb, however, allegedly failed to turn any of the money over to Pryceless, but used it and his share for personal expenses, officials said. Goldfarb is also accused of failing to report the money on his tax returns, officials said.

If convicted, Goldfarb could face a maximum sentence of more than six years in state prison, authorities said.