Federal Government Says Popular Hollywood Films Were Made With Illegal Money

In a bizarre case, the Justice Department issued a complaint on June 15 alleging that "Dumb and Dumber To" and "Daddy's Home" were produced using funds diverted from the Malaysian government by international fraudsters.

The first film implicated in this case was "The Wolf of Wall Street," with the two latest coming a year later. The U.S. government says the films were caught up in a large international scheme that saw $4.5 billion stolen 1Malaysia Development Berhad from 2009 to 2015, which was subsequently laundered through shell companies worldwide. So serious is the case that the government is seeking a settlement in which they will receive future profits from "The Wolf of Wall Street," as well as rights to and profits from the other two films. 

The films became part of the scheme when the money passed through the Red Granite Pictures production company. The company is cooperating with the government, having denied any knowledge of the true origin of the money they received for the films. The fraud extends far beyond the films, though, including such items as paintings by Monet, jewelry, real estate, and a yacht. A sealed proposal of settlement for "The Wolf of Wall Street" was submitted on June 14, with no word on the other two films yet. 

[via CNN]