In a bit of odd news, reality TV producer Jonathan Lee Smith was just sentenced to prison time. You may know Smith best from Ink Therapy and Living Out Loud. But he had a bit of a side hustle going on as well, and it wasn’t what most people call ‘legal.’ Though none of the money, in his words, materialized, it’s a crime regardless. And once you hear the amount he attempted to steal, you realize how serious the crime actually is.
Smith had pleaded guilty last year, admitting he had made fake licensing agreements to procure a 2 million dollar loan from Bay Point Capital Partners. He had only gotten the loan based on fraudulent paperwork. Not a good look. A rather elaborate scheme. And the actual amount of $2 million is staggering. It takes a certain false bravado to think you can pull that off without a hitch. He also produced the show Ink Therapy.
The thing is, Jonathan Lee Smith and the company both went bankrupt. Kind of hard to deny being involved when you cripple a capital company and still go broke yourself.
Living Out Loud (In Prison)
Via Variety:
“Defendant is an experienced businessman in the entertainment industry. He knew it was wrong to lie to secure a $2 million loan, but did it anyway,” prosecutors said in their sentencing memorandum. “And rather than make just one misrepresentation, defendant backed up his lie with counterfeit documents to show fake accounts receivable and fictitious incoming payments.”
Reality TV show Living Out Loud producer was sentenced to a year in prison, and we only hope he learns from the process. And heck, maybe afterward, he and Jen Shah can start a reality TV show about stars turned convicts. Get it, because she is probably going away for fraud, too? Man, the reality TV ocean is rocky at best.
That’s why we only watch from the shore.
