Jury Rules Against Man Who Claimed He Created Kung Fu Panda

BOSTON (AP) — A Massachusetts man who claims he first came up with the character and story for the 2008 animated movie Kung Fu Panda has been convicted of wire fraud and perjury charges.

Fifty-one-year-old Jayme Gordon had filed a lawsuit in 2011 designed to obtain a multi-million-dollar settlement from DreamWorks Animation SKG.

Prosecutors said Gordon fabricated and backdated drawings of characters similar to those in Kung Fu Panda, lied repeatedly during his deposition, and destroyed computer evidence.

Prosecutors said beyond what they called superficial similarities, the panda characters and story that Gordon created have little in common with DreamWorks' movie.

Gordon was convicted Friday by a federal jury on four counts of wire fraud and three counts of perjury.

U.S. District Court Chief Judge Patti Saris scheduled sentencing for March 30, 2017.