A film accountant from the San Fernando Valley pleaded not guilty Wednesday to charges alleging he embezzled nearly $2 million from production companies that hired him, using the funds for Las Vegas trips and hookups with pornographic film actresses and a woman he met through a “sugar daddy” website.
Joshua Mandel, 46, of Woodland Hills is charged in Los Angeles federal court with six counts of wire fraud , according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
At his arraignment, a tentative trial date of Nov. 4 was set. If convicted, Mandel would face up to 20 years behind bars on each count.
Mandel owned the Woodland Hills-based company First J Productions Inc., where he served as both its chief executive and chief financial officer, the indictment states.
He also worked as a film production ac