Filmmaker Charged With Stealing Over $100,000 in Tax Credits in Louisiana
Filmmaker was charged with tax-credit fraud after allegedly writing checks for more than $500,000 in false expenses which allowed for him to receive over a $100,000 in tax credits from the state.
According to the Baton Rouge, La. Advocate, George Kostuch, who owned and ran K2 Pictures received $161,850 from Louisiana during a period of several months between 2010 and 2011.
“A Baton Rouge filmmaker on Tuesday became the latest person charged with ripping off Louisiana's movie tax credit program, the latest blemish for a program that has seen criminal charges lodged against nearly a dozen people since its inception in 2002.
George Kostuch, 43, who owned and ran K2 Pictures, is accused of writing checks for more than $500,000 in false expenses, which led to his company receiving $161,850 in tax credits from the state during a period of several months between 2010 and 2011, U.S. Attorney Walt Green said in a news release.” [via]
This causes the biggest risk for any state that uses film incentives. That filmmakers can manipulate the system and runway with hundreds of thousands of dollars from states like Georgia and Louisiana.
But, what kind of impact will this have on the state of Louisiana? Should Louisiana get rid of the film incentives to stop filmmakers from stealing from the government?
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H/T: AJCBUZZ
