Movie Producer Dillon Jordan Accused of Running Secret Prostitution Ring
A California movie producer was indicted Thursday for allegedly running an international prostitution ring under the guise of a film business.
Dillon Jordan—the 49-year-old who is behind indie films including The Kindergarten Teacher starring Maggie Gyllenhaal and The Kid with Ethan Hawke—was arrested in San Bernardino County, California, but is facing charges in the Southern District of New York.
“As alleged, for years, Dillon Jordan operated an extensive and far-reaching prostitution business, using a purported event planning company and a movie production company to conceal the proceeds he made from exploiting women,” said Manhattan U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss said. “Now the party is over and the film is a wrap.”
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Jordan, who also goes by the aliases Daniel Jordan, Daniel Maurice Hatton, and Daniel Bohler, ran the operation with help from others including a “United Kingdom-based madam” from about 2010 through May 2017, federal prosecutors say.
The alleged crimes began three years before Jordan launched his company, PaperChase Films, which bills itself as a “vertically-integrated media and entertainment company” made up of “a committed group of cinephile-gogetters with an intense devotion to visual media.” The company website adds that Jordan “has rapidly achieved acclaim for his strong cinematic sensibilities, protecting investor relationships, and funding provocative, award-winning material.”
The indictment doesn’t indicate the names of Jordan’s other businesses, which allegedly were involved in the prostitution scheme.
Prosecutors say Jordan funneled proceeds from his prostitution business—for which he allegedly kept a “roster of women” to perform sex acts in New York and beyond—to California-based front companies that advertised as a party and event planning firm and a movie production company. Jordan also allegedly opened multiple bank accounts in the names of those sham entities and utilized them to accept payments from clients, and to pay the women on his Rolodex via cash or check.
“At times, Jordan further disguised the nature of the check payments made to the women for their prostitution services by describing them as modeling fees, appearances fees, consulting fees, massage therapy fees, and house party fees, among other things,” the indictment states.
The producer also allegedly coordinated with the U.K.-based madam, who is an unnamed co-conspirator, “by sharing and referring customers and prostitutes,” the court filing adds.
According to prosecutors, Jordan used email to coordinate the prostitution services, send photos of women to his clients and arrange the women’s travel.
The court filing lists dates on which Jordan allegedly accepted payment for services and booked hotels and flights for victims of the sex ring: on Dec. 15, 2011, Jordan allegedly booked a hotel in Manhattan and flight from California for a person identified as Victim-1, and on June 26, 2016, Jordan arranged travel for a second woman referred to as Victim-2.
Jordan is charged with conspiracy to violate the Mann Act, enticement, use of interstate commerce to promote unlawful activity, and money laundering. If convicted, he faces a maximum of 50 years behind bars.
“This defendant apparently thought he could hide his alleged criminal dealings behind a supposedly legitimate business,” said FBI Special Agent-in-Charge George M. Crouch Jr. “But the FBI, in its mission to protect our citizens, uses every tool at its disposal to unmask those who violate federal law and assist the impacted victims.
“We encourage anyone who was victimized by this defendant, and anyone with additional information, to contact our Newark field office.”
Dillon’s career appeared to be taking off toward the end of this alleged operation.
In 2018, the Hollywood Reporter covered Jordan’s multimillion-dollar partnership with IRA Capital’s Samir Patel, who told the outlet, “Having watched Dillon build PaperChase Films from the ground up and achieve the tremendous success that he has, there’s no question that our mutual goals will be well-served by his instincts and vision.”
One year before, arts website Occhi Magazine reported on PaperChase’s three-script deal with documentarian and music-video director Kevin Kerslake. “Dillon is relentless,” Kerslake said, according to the website. “What he has accomplished in the short time he’s been producing is unreal, reminiscent of legendary producers throughout the years who had the courage to blaze their own path.”
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