L.A. producer accused of fleecing dad’s longtime pal out of $7 million in brazen scam

Justin Berns said he needed money to pay off debts while trying to make it as a producer in Los Angeles, according to the FBI - (AFP via Getty Images)

A struggling film producer fleeced a longtime pal of his father’s in an audacious con that netted the 41-year-old more than $7 million over a seven-year period, authorities allege.

The victim, who is identified in court records by the initials “R.P.,” has known the scammer, Justin Berns, since he was four, according to an FBI affidavit unsealed Wednesday and reviewed by The Independent.