By Nathan Duke
A low−budget 2004 film set in Flushing is seeing a revival, of sorts, after the state attorney general’s office recently said the movie was entangled in an alleged scheme during which two aides to former state Comptroller Alan Hevesi are accused of taking millions in kickbacks and using their influence over the state’s billion−dollar pension fund for personal gain.
“Chooch,” an independent film set and shot in Flushing which played briefly in August 2005, was executive produced by Steven Loglisci, whose brother, David Loglisci, was charged on March 19 in a 123−count indictment that included enterprise corruption, securities fraud, grand larceny, bribery and money laundering, state Attorney General Andrew Cuomo said.
David Loglisci acted as Hevesi’s former chief investment officer. Hank Morris, Hevesi’s chief political adviser while he was running the pension fund, was also charged in the indictment, Cuomo said.
David Loglisci allegedly steered millions of dollars worth of investment deals to Morris and other firms in exchange for thousands of dollars worth of benefits in the form of “sham” investments, which were used to produce his brother’s low budget film, Cuomo said.
“Chooch” follows the story of a Queens slacker who disappoints his softball team by striking out in the bottom of the ninth inning. His cousin attempts to cheer him up by cashing in his savings and springing for a Cancun vacation.
Morris is alleged to have invested $100,000 in the film, the indictment said.
David Loglisci is also accused of arranging a $90,000 DVD distribution deal for the movie in 2005 with the head of a private equity fund who sought an investment from the comptroller’s office, the attorney general said. But the fund manager was not named in the indictment.
Hevesi, who resigned two years ago after it was revealed he used a state driver to chauffeur his ailing wife, was not directly named in the kickback case, but Cuomo said more charges might be forthcoming.
Morris, who ran Hevesi’s comptroller campaign, faces up to 340 years in prison if convicted and Loglisci faces up to 193 years, the attorney general said.
Cuomo alleges that Morris took $30 million in placement fees for himself and business partners from companies in which the pension fund was being invested.
The political adviser also allegedly directed companies doing business with the pension fund to contribute to Hevesi’s campaign account and then Morris made sure pension funds were invested with those firms, Cuomo said.
Reach reporter Nathan Duke by e−mail at nduke@cnglocal.com or by phone at 718−229−0300, Ext. 156.
