"Southland" star C. Thomas Howell apparently concocted an elaborate scheme to swindle $220,000 from a film investor.
He is said to have used fake bank accounts and forged documents.
However Thomas tells TMZ he's a victim too.
Blackacre Entertainment filed the suit in L.A. Monday, claiming Howell and two other defendants asked them to invest $220,000 for a film called "Bite."
Howell said the money was necessary to secure $11 million in funding for the flick.
BE claims Howell tricked them with forged docs, a fake bank account (which showed an $11 mil balance), and fake conference calls between BE and phantom Bank of America managers.
BE is suing for $286,000 plus punitive damages.
Howell says he has filed his own lawsuits regarding the case, claiming he was duped into raising the $220k by a fraudulent third party and had NO IDEA it was a scam.
He says he has contacted the FBI to investigate the case.
- TMZ
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