Was I a Victim of Fraud?

Update as of 10-15-2018 -- The case has been dismissed by both parties.  As we have agreed to move forward, the dismissed case will remain confidential.

----

UPDATE - 11-17-14  I believe I am a victim of Alfieri's FRAUD. That is why I filed a new complaint against him in April 2014. My case is proceeding and should be going to trial in 2015.

Update: As of 4-14-13, Victor Alfieri has not respected our agreement and continues to breach it. I learned that the money he took from me was used to sue me. I also recently confirmed that he was planning on suing me as soon as he took the rest of my investment - while I was trying to negotiate and work things out with him. He has refused to provide proof of new money invested and claims that he has been paying post-production crew with cashier's checks and cash - something that looks very suspicious.

FRAUD

Definition 

A false representation of a matter of fact—whether by words or by conduct, by false or misleading allegations, or by concealment of what should have been disclosed—that deceives and is intended to deceive another so that the individual will act upon it to her or his legal injury.

During the long twelve months litigating this case, my belief was that Victor Alfieri did not have the intention to finish this movie. It was my belief that fraud had been committed.

To my surprise, Victor handed me a DVD with the Director's Cut of "Looking for Clara."I admit that what I saw was much better than what I expected. The movie still needs some post-production work and should be completed in a few months.

Even though I am not in complete agreement with the way the production money was spent and handled, I am not claiming that fraud has been committed. If there is an actual movie produced, then my investment is legitimate.

My lawsuit has been dropped. I am not planning on legally pursuing fraud allegations against Bondolini Productions or Victor Alfieri in the future. I do want to see this movie completed, distributed and released.

Victor and I have agreed to work together to finish the film. It is unfortunate that "working together" for Victor means - He does as he pleases and makes all the decisions without considering any input from me.  Although I do NOT completely agree with the way he is handling post-production, I will not create obstacles that could prevent the release of this film.  Therefore, I will not write about fraud allegations during pre-production, production or post-production. I am not making any such claims at this time.

My personal relationship with Victor Alfieri is another story. There was certainly deceit and betrayal. It might sound like a tragic story. But believe me, this has been a profound learning experience. I feel fortunate to have reached a much higher level of awareness.

Through this blog I am releasing an old story that no longer serves me... in the process, I am also creating a new story for myself... one filled with integrity, respect, forgiveness and compassion.

Thanks for letting me share my story with you!

Disclaimer -- As of October 15, 2018, all legal issues have been resolved. This resolution was reached during arbitration. There are no pending issues related to fraud or theft. The resolution was mutually agreeable. There will be no more posts written about this story.