Judge orders restitution to family scammed by film producer

Posted on July 17, 2015

Eric and Jeff Elliott visited WJBC earlier this year to promote “Hoovey.” (Photo by Colleen Reynolds/WJBC)

By Eric Stock

PEORIA – A family from Normal has some closure after a film producer who scammed them out of more than $600,000 was sent to prison.

In U.S. District Court in Peoria on Wednesday, Christopher Eberts was sentenced to 46 months in federal prison. Eberts, 49, had pleaded guilty in March to wire fraud and money laundering charges.

According to the Peoria Journal Star, Eberts solicited the money from retired firefighter Jeff Elliott under the pretense he was going to make a movie about his son, who overcame a brain tumor and later received a college basketball scholarship. There was already a book written on Eric “Hoovey” Elliott’s story entitled “Rebounding from Death’s Door.”

U.S. District Judge Joe Billy McDade ordered Eberts to pay about $180,000 in restitution to Elliott, who previously won a civil lawsuit against Eberts.

The movie “Hoovey” was later produced by EchoLight Studios with no budget for advertising and distribution.

Eric Stock can be reached at [email protected].

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