Hargobind Tahilramani: ‘Con queen of Hollywood who impersonated film bosses in $1m fraud’ can be extradited to US, British judge rules

A man labelled the “con queen of Hollywood” after allegedly impersonating movie bosses during a seven-year fraud scheme can be extradited to the US, a British judge has ruled.

Hargobind Tahilramani, who was arrested in 2020 in a Manchester hotel where he claimed to be a Netflix writer, is accused of conning over 300 victims, including actors, screenwriters and photographers, out of more than $1m (£800,000).

The 43-year-old allegedly mimicked the voices of key figures, including producers working for The Dark Knight director Christopher Nolan, to offer non-existent film work.

Indonesian national Tahilramani, who was detained after an FBI investigation, is said to have pretended to be American film producer Megan Ellison, her mother Barbara Boothe, and Hollywood executive Amy Pascal in phone calls, emails and text messages.

He would convince his victims to fund their own flights to Indonesia for projects that didn’t exist and once there, they would be pressured to pay for exorbitant expenses which were never paid back, it is alleged.

The US accuses the defendant of eight charges, including conspiracy to commit wire fraud, two counts of wire fraud and five counts of aggravated identity theft – which carry years behind bars if convicted.

During his extradition proceedings last year, Tahilramani said he lived a sham life because he is gay and claimed that he was a victim of a conspiracy by American prosecutors.

“At its heart, this is an old-fashioned advanced fees fraud,” Joel Smith, who represented the US, told Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday.

Chief Magistrate Paul Goldspring has now approved his extradition and sent the case to Home Secretary Suella Braverman for a decision.

Among the alleged victims was New York-based screenwriter Greg Mandarano who was said to have been scammed out of $80,000 (£64,400) by Tahilramani posing as film producer Jean Pritzker.

Tahilramani, pretending to be Ms Pritzker, offered sexual favours to Mr Mandarano and tried to get him to send recordings of himself, according to Mr Smith.

Read More: ‘Con queen of Hollywood’ is arrested

Freelance photographer Will Strathman was emailed by Tahilramani posing as Amy Pascal, and was persuaded to travel to Indonesia to direct a Netflix travel series, the court heard.

He allegedly paid almost £40,000 in fictional expenses during three trips in 2017.

Los-Angeles based Dan Considine got a text message in May 2020 purportedly from Thomas Hayslip – a producer working with Inception and Tenet director Nolan.

The court heard he spoke to Tahilramani, who was posing as another producer, “Dana Walden”, who persuaded Mr Considine to send audition tapes and pay about $7,000 (£5,600) for martial arts training videos, in an attempt to land a role in a Nolan movie.

“Mr Considine never received any videos and the audition was a sham,” said Mr Smith.

Giving evidence, Tahilramani said he was born in Jakarta, the son of “one of the most renowned producers in Indonesia”, grew up in the US and has spent time in Singapore.

“I’m an interesting person,” Tahilramani said. “They want to make films out of me, they want to make television.”

He claimed he should not be extradited because a large amount of the alleged conduct happened while he was in the UK and would not be in the interests of justice.