Where people are too scared to report the truth, in fear of retaliation, including being blackballed or bad PR, but I will…because it is time we get our money back.

Howard Kaplan, is an attorney who has been suspended by the California State Bar nine (9) times. Howard Kaplan own financial background shows that he has filed bankruptcy, not once, but twice in 1996 and 2016. Kaplan has 22 liens, 19 of which are related to back taxes. In 2010, Kaplan’s Granda Hills property went through a foreclosure.

These are just some of the facts that I wish I knew about Kaplan, before I ever met him. Instead, I’ve come to realize that Howard Kaplan has been and is the head honcho of multiple financial schemes.

Initially, Kaplan comes off as very confident, boasting about his attorney background, and doing whatever he can to make sure he gains your trust. In reality, Kaplan will say anything to manipulate someone to invest in his hodgepodge plans. I have been trying to get my money back from Kaplan for years, but how can I?? I know I am not the only one, as I recently learned that Kaplan found a way to enlist celebrity Kevin Costner, with the “Horizon” movie scam. I would not be surprised if together they’ve taken a lot of peoples’ monies, with the promise of “investing” and getting high returns. Ultimately, all that unfolds for them, as it did for me, was an outright theft of all our funds. This all too familiar story of how Kaplan keeps ultimately stealing people’s money is what I call the “Kaplan Scam.”

I am tired of being quiet, and if you’re reading this, you should be too.

While I’ve kept my perspectives to myself for way too long, this is a long time coming and should’ve been shared years ago; for that I am sorry to those who could’ve been spared. I will live with that but based on the new information that has come to light, Kaplan and Costner will not stop taking peoples’ money, while knowing full well, they will never get their money back!

To put it bluntly, Howard Kaplan and Kevin Costner have been running what should be looked at by authorities as a Ponzi scheme…a not so elaborate (actually, clunky and overtly a scam) plan to bait supporters into projects with a minor return, followed by a bigger ask followed by crickets! Sound familiar?

This is absolutely nothing new and while Costner is complicit, it is Kaplan that is the front end of this routine scam. Now, I’m not investigator, but I would be shocked if Kaplan and Costner disclosed all the questionable liens, suspensions, scam references, etc., about Kaplan alone. I think it’s criminally obvious that Costner and Kaplan are not being honest and truthful in the best case scenario; however, they have intentionally withheld financial malfeasance by committing fraud on decade’s worth of investors, partners, Studios, and anyone else who is financially tied to them or has their reputation or livelihood dependent on their honesty.

It’s one thing to invest in a speculative movie project that has great risk to it but it is quite another thing to invest without being told that the person in charge of the movie has a history of failed business dealings where he has been accused of shady financial/ethics in at least 9 projects that we know of, and who has a long history of defrauding collaborators:

Biggest Question: Did Kevin Costner know?  Of course he did??? How could he not know. This financial and legal scamming has gone on for years while Costner has had access to the best and the brightest attorneys, accountants and business managers in the world. We know they aren’t dumb…they are all just complicit.

Regardless, my point here is to lay out the timelines and details behind what the right legal minds should take a look at and start asking questions…I’ll bet none of us will get straight answers…until someone with a badge asks them.

Most importantly, I know for a fact that I’m not the only one who has uncovered Kaplan’s ill-intentioned game plans together, so if you have something to share about their questionable ethics and fundraising, shoot me your perspective here and I will be certain to include everything on this page moving forward.

Before you get involved in another “Kaplan Plan” you should read the below, so you do not end up like the rest of us trying to get our money back:

1. Kaplan and Costner’s financial scheme may not be so obvious to someone that doesn’t manage large sums of money for a living, but I’ve seen this more times that Kaplan has had liens against him (that’s 22 by the way!). A list of all of Kaplan’s liens that I have found, which I wish I knew about before are listed here:

2. I hesitate to even call this a Ponzi scheme, because that implies that you will get any of your money back from Kaplan (even if it’s from the wrong source), but it appears that this is what Kaplan’s ultimate plan is. Kaplan takes your money, sometimes give you a small return which he gets from other soon-to-be-victims he finds to manipulate into giving him money, and the chain continues. The Kaplan Scam just keeps attracting attention while providing vaguely positive, if any, reporting to previous investors. As soon as new backers stop contributing, the scheme falls apart because a lack of demand implies lessening value, and therefore a desire for people to request their money back. That’s precisely how Kaplan operates, by ignoring requests from existing supporters while soliciting new ones who are willing to hand over large sums of money without a clear and obvious return.
3. Would the “Kaplan Scam” or the scheme work if it were just Kaplan? Hell no. He’s not a name people care about. Kevin Costner, however, is. He’s a movie star and a director, so he must be trustworthy! Unfortunately, that’s the heart of the scam. When you have such a well-known name, it’s easier for the money man to keep pulling in funds. The face of the scam, Costner, can then play stupid and claim they don’t understand the money aspect of the business. They’re just an “artist” after all. I don’t buy it.
4. Once the onion of this type of scheme is peeled back, the expenses won’t make any sense if you compare it to other same type businesses. One thing to look for is whether the expected amounts are increased by 20% or more. Why? It’s probably as a laundering effect, paying off friendly contractors and external partners with redirected funds coming back into Kaplan and Costner’s pockets via kickbacks external to the accounts associated with the film they raised all the funds for. It’s a convenient way to get paid, and then get paid again, without having to actually produce anything of value.
5. How do you stop a scheme such as this? Awareness. While I’m maintaining my anonymity, I have a background in finance and am well aware of how financial crimes can impact society as a whole. We have to bring this “Kaplan Scam” to light so that everyone can see what Kaplan and Costner are now doing. The films do not cost what they claim to cost, and the people who put their trust in these two are being fleeced. Just because the victims of the crimes in this case are rich enough to sue, that doesn’t make them any less of a victim.

Let’s just share some fun facts here… Doubt any of this was disclosed:

• Howard Kaplan, born October 22, 1961, has an active California Bar membership. Analysts note the Subject experienced 9 NINE suspensions in his 33-year legal career.
• Kaplan’s history shows significant financial instability, including (2) bankruptcies (1996 and 2016), 22 liens (19 related to back taxes), and a foreclosure on his Granada Hills property in 2010.
• As general counsel for Morgan Creek Productions, Kaplan was implicated in a lawsuit involving the 2006 film “The Good Shepherd,” where, according to court documents, his representations about corporate structure led to a $4.5 million dispute with a Japanese distributor.
• Kaplan transitioned from legal roles to film production, working on projects such as “Odd Thomas” (2013) and “Anon” (2018), often mired in financial and legal complications.
• Currently, Kaplan is a producer on Kevin Costner’s “Horizon: An American Saga,” a 4-part, $100 million project partly self-financed allegedly by Costner through a $38 million property mortgage.
• “Horizon: An American Saga” has underperformed at the box office, grossing approximately $36 million globally against its budget, leading to changes in release strategy for subsequent chapters.
• Kaplan’s relationship with Costner dates back to at least 2019 when he represented Costner’s Open Range Productions in a $13.6 million lawsuit against Kew Media Group for breach of contract. This association continued, with Kaplan representing Costner again in 2021 in a $15 million lawsuit against a former business partner.
• At least nine business entities associated with Kaplan, many inactive or revoked, further indicating financial instability.

His financial history shows a complete disaster that if shown to anyone, they would stay away from this guy.

Kaplan and Costner have a new movie coming out, so supporters beware!! You will not get your money back. The costs just never add up.

https://deadline.com/2024/10/kevin-costner-headhunters-1236112447/