Woodland Hills Film Production Accountant Pleads Guilty to Embezzling Money from Indie Films That Employed Him

LOS ANGELES - A film production accountant from the San Fernando Valley pleaded guilty today to embezzling money from the independent film productions that employed him, moving the illicitly obtained funds into an account he called "Fun Fun Fun."

Joshua Mandel, 48, of Woodland Hills, pleaded guilty to six counts of wire fraud.

According to court documents, Mandel owned the Woodland Hills-based company First J Productions Inc., where he served as both its CEO and chief financial officer. He also worked as a film production accountant who specialized in accounting services for independent films.

As a production accountant, Mandel oversaw cash flow, payroll, and expenses for the film productions. He also was an authorized user for bank accounts belonging to the production companies and added funds to prepaid debit cards issued by CASHét Card, which are commonly used in the film industry.

From 2019 to 2023, Mandel misappropriated funds belonging to the film productions by writing unauthorized checks, making unauthorized wire transfers, and moving funds into a CASHét Card account he controlled called "Fun Fun Fun." To hide his scheme, Mandel used funds from one production company to pay expenses incurred by another.

Law enforcement believes the total amount Mandel embezzled approached $2 million and that he used the embezzled money to maintain his lifestyle, including paying hundreds of thousands of dollars to various young women, including pornographic actresses, and more than $129,000 to a woman he met through a "sugar daddy" website; spending more than $24,000 at Las Vegas hotels, clubs, and shows; and purchasing more than $12,000 in luxury items from Louis Vuitton.

United States District Judge John F. Walter scheduled a May 4 sentencing hearing, at which time Mandel will face up to 20 years in federal prison for each count. Mandel remains free on $25,000 bond.

The FBI is investigating this matter.

Assistant United States Attorneys Alexander B. Schwab, Acting Chief of the Criminal Division, and Lauren E. Border of the General Crimes Section are prosecuting this case.