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Movie Director Charged In $4.7 Million Mass. Tax Credit Fraud

BOSTON (CBS) - A Los Angeles-based movie director has been charged with conning the state of Massachusetts out of $4.7 million in film tax credits.

Attorney General Martha Coakley says 50-year-old Daniel Adams claimed nearly $20 million in phony expenses on applications for the state's film tax credit.

Under the Massachusetts film tax credit law, a film production company can claim a 25% tax credit for payroll and production expenses.

The charges are related to two movies shot on Cape Cod, "The Golden Boys" and "The Lightkeepers."

Prosecutors say Adams, through his production companies West Wind Productions, LLC and Cape Filmworks, LLC, listed fictitious expenditures totaling $17 million.

One of the allegations says Adams reported that he had paid actor Richard Dreyfuss $2.5 million, when in fact he was paid only $400,000.

We allege that this defendant knowingly defrauded taxpayers by lying about his production costs with the purpose of generating funding for his films and his own personal profit," said AG Coakley. "Today's action is an important step to ensure that the film tax credit is awarded appropriately while encouraging legitimate productions to be filmed here in Massachusetts."

Adams is being charged with Making a False Claim Against the Commonwealth, and Larceny Over $250. He was being held on $100,000 cash bail.

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