Mark Measures, owner and president of the talent agency KMR, was arraigned in Manhattan Criminal Court on Tuesday on allegations of stealing approximately $1.8 million from actors he represented and additional funds from employees. Measures faces a comprehensive 40-count indictment, including charges of grand larceny, petit larceny, and scheme to defraud.
According to the indictment, Measures allegedly defrauded 160 New York-based actors and six employees from June 2021 through March 2024. He entered a plea of not guilty during Tuesday's arraignment.
Prosecutors detailed in court how Measures purportedly "raided" escrow accounts, which held the earnings of his clients. They claim he diverted these funds to pay for personal and operational expenses, including luxury clothing, car payments, spa treatments at the Four Seasons, and approximately $55,000 for seats at the Los Angeles Crypto Arena. Moreover, prosecutors allege that Measures also misappropriated employee retirement funds.
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg condemned the alleged actions, emphasizing that many victims had struggled financially, balancing multiple jobs to sustain their acting careers. Bragg described the fraud as egregious and underscored the commitment of his office to securing justice and restitution for those affected. “These defendants used their hard-earned money to fund his lavish lifestyle,” Bragg said, urging additional victims to come forward.
Prosecutors further claim that Measures routinely misled clients inquiring about overdue payments, citing banking delays or postal issues, and promising checks that either bounced or never materialized.
Following the arraignment, Measures was released on his own recognizance. The court ordered him to surrender his passport and secure his own attorney, as he was represented at this initial appearance by court-appointed counsel. He is scheduled to return to court on July 15.
KMR's franchises in Los Angeles, New York, and Atlanta had been terminated by SAG-AFTRA as of March 22, 2024, effectively ending the agency’s professional relationship with the actors' union. SAG-AFTRA explicitly instructed members to cease all interactions with KMR.
Measures previously represented prominent clients, including actors Elizabeth Perkins, Merrin Dungey, Meredith Monroe, and the late Wink Martindale.
A successful Hollywood director faces charges of money laundering, wire fraud, engaging in monetary transactions in property derived from specified unlawful activity, and allegedly defrauding a streaming company of millions. Carl Erik Rinsch, who directed “47 Ronin,” was arrested in Los Angeles on March 18, after he was indicted by... Read More »
A Los Angeles actor has been ordered to serve more than 20 years behind bars over charges related to an elaborate $650 million Ponzi scheme. 35-year-old actor Zachary Joseph Horwitz convinced investors to buy into his bogus company, 1inMM Capital. As part of the scheme, Horwitz took investor money claiming... Read More »
A New York money manager is facing charges of conspiracy and fraud. Authorities say he was running a 1.8 billion dollar fraud operation in which he defrauded investors in what they have called a Ponzi-like scheme. David Gentile, 54, of New York was the chief executive of GPB Capital Holdings... Read More »
With a story juicy enough to be a hit movie, the secret identity of the infamous “Con Queen of Hollywood” was revealed in a London courtroom to be an Indonesian man, Hargobind Tahilramani, 41. Nicknamed the “Con Queen of Hollywood” because of his alleged scheme to steal hundreds of thousands... Read More »
