Dillon Jordan: Movie Producer Ran International Prostitution Ring, Feds Say

Dillon Jordan is a movie producer accused of running an international prostitution ring. The 49-year-old California man was indicted on federal charges in New York, prosecutors said in a press release. Jordan’s company PaperChase Films is best known for producing the 2018 movie The Kindergarten Teacher, which starred Maggie Gyllenhal, along with The Kid and Skin.

“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,” Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York Audrey Strauss said in a statement. “Now the party is over and the film is a wrap.”

Jordan, of Lake Arrowhead, California, was arrested in San Bernardino County on July 15, 2021. He was charged in an indictment with conspiracy to violate the Mann Act, along with Mann Act and Travel Act violations and money laundering, “in connection with operating a prostitution business and laundering the proceeds of that prostitution business through two front companies – a purported party and event planning company and an actual movie production company,” prosecutors said in the press release.

“This defendant apparently thought he could hide his alleged criminal dealings behind a supposedly legitimate business. 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,” FBI Special Agent-in-Charge George M. Crouch Jr. said in a statement. “We encourage anyone who was victimized by this defendant, and anyone with additional information, to contact our Newark field office.”

Jordan, who also uses the names Daniel Maurice Hatton, Daniel Jordan and Daniel Bohler, could not be reached for comment by Heavy. It was not immediately known if he has hired an attorney who could speak on his behalf.

Here’s what you need to know about Dillon Jordan:

1. Jordan Had a ‘Roster of Women’ & Worked With a Madam in the United Kingdom, Prosecutors Say

According to prosecutors, Jordan is accused of running the prostitution ring from at least 2010 to 2017 in both the United States and abroad. The indictment accuses Jordan of maintaining a “roster of women” who “performed sexual acts” for Jordan’s clients around the U.S., including in New York, in exchange for payment.

Prosecutors accuse Jordan of using email to communicate with his clients to coordinate prostitution services, including “sending to clients photos of women who were available for hire for prostitution services, discussing the price of prostitution services, and overseeing travel logistics for women to travel to engage in prostitution.” According to the indictment, Jordan is also accused of at times arranging the interstate travel of women to engage in prostitution.

Prosecutors added in the press release, “To facilitate his prostitution business, Jordan also coordinated with a United Kingdom-based madam by sharing and referring customers and prostitutes.” The madam is not named in the indictment and it was not immediately known if she could also be facing charges.

2. Jordan Concealed the Money He Made Through His Event Planning Business & Film Production Company, Prosecutors Say

Prosecutors accuse Jordan of running the financial side of his prostitution business through two shell companies, including the film production company. He also used an event planning business to conceal his activities, according to prosecutors. Both businesses were incorporated in California, according to the indictment. The production company is called PaperChase Films. The event planning business is not named in court documents.

According to the press release, Jordan, “opened multiple bank accounts for these companies, which he used to accept cash, wire, and check payments for prostitution services from clients and to pay for the expenses of the prostitution business, including paying the women for their prostitution services by cash and check.”

Prosecutors added, “By using the two front companies to receive deposits from the prostitution business, Jordan ensured that transactions involving those proceeds from the prostitution business would disguise the nature, source, and origin of those proceeds.”

In its press release, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York said, “We urge anyone who feels she may be a victim of, or have information related to, the conduct in this case to please contact the FBI at NK-Victim-Assistance@fbi.gov or (973) 792-3000.”

3. Jordan Created PaperChase Films in 2013

Jordan founded his movie production business, PaperChase Films, in 2013 in Los Angeles, according to his LinkedIn profile. He wrote on the social media site, “PaperChase Films is a media and entertainment company focused on developing, producing and financing provocative, award-winning films and intellectual property across multiple platforms.”

Jordan added that PaperChase Films is, a “brand new company focusing on independently financed films with budgets ranging from 1-5 million. Also seeking to purchase and secure I.P. from a wide range of sources.” PaperChase Films’ website states:

PaperChase Films is a vertically-integrated media and entertainment company focused on creating, financing and distributing first class content and intellectual property across multiple platforms. Founded in 2013, PaperChase Films is comprised of a committed group of cinephile-gogetters with an intense devotion to visual media. We thrive on discovering and translating compelling stories into commercially successful properties. With an upcoming slate comprised of Features, Digital and TV Series, PaperChase strives to align ourselves with strategic partners who bear a similar no-holds-barred ethos toward filmmaking – not merely to entertain, but to catalyze social transformation. We want our projects to inspire our viewers, leaving them with memorable experiences that awaken their imagination and live on in their memory.

A strong creative cross-pollination between Features, TV and Digital feeds directly into our mission statement: to produce bold, innovative and strongly authored work. We’re committed to telling stories on larger canvases and encouraging our directors to enjoy the opportunity to evolve as storytellers. With a significant development slate, PaperChase is set to deliver a broad selection of material for theatrical, broadcast and multi-platform release. We craft silver screen films from the bottom up.

According to the company’s website, Jordan has worked on projects including The Kindergarten Teacher, Skin and Bodied. He most recently served as a producer for the 2019 movie Heavy, starring Sophie Turner and Daniel Zovatto, according to his website.

Jordan’s LinkedIn shows he was also briefly the director of development and corporate strategy for the Santa Monica-based Suretone Entertainment from 2015 to 2016. According to its website, Suretone is an independent music label.

4. Jordan Was Born & Raised in California & Was Involved in the Los Angeles Nightclub Scene Before Getting Into the Movie Business

Jordan is a California native. According to Deadline, Jordan worked in the Los Angeles nightclub scene, working at and running clubs, before getting into the movie business. In a 2017 article about his partnership with a music video director, Jordan said he has roots in “Los Angles counter-cultures.”

According to online records, Jordan has registered several businesses in California, including PaperChase, along with Phoenix Rising Productions LLC and TKT Investments LLC. The name of Jordan’s event planning business was not immediately known.

Jordan told Deadline in 2018, “My approach to filmmaking is the same one I use in life; relentless authenticity, endless enthusiasm and a strong sense of purpose. It’s important to align with the frequencies that speak to me as a Producer. I want to work with creators that have a truly genuine voice; to recognize and develop projects that stand out and demand to be heard. I’m very proud of the work we’ve done so far, and this partnership paves the way to dramatically expand our footprint in the industry.”

5. Jordan Was Released on $150,000 Bond After His First Court Appearance

Jordan appeared in court via video from jail in California on July 16 and was released from custody on $150,000 bail, Inner City Press reports. He was also ordered to turn over any firearms he owns, according to the news site.

Prosecutors said in a press release, “one count of conspiracy to violate the Mann Act, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison; one count of enticement, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; one count of use of interstate commerce to promote unlawful activity, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison; and one count of money laundering, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. The statutory maximum sentences are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by a judge.”

The case is being prosecuted by the Southern District of New York U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Money Laundering and Transnational Criminal Enterprises Unit, according to the press release. Assistant United States Attorney Cecilia E. Vogel is leading the prosecution, the U.S. Attorney’s office said.

Jordan is scheduled to appear in court on Thursday, July 29, 2021, in Manhattan for his arraignment, according to online records. His hearing is set for 3 p.m. at the Daniel Patrick Moynihan United States Courthouse in front of Judge John P. Cronan, federal court records show.

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