DOCUMENT: Crime

Tobey Maguire Gives Back Dirty Money

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Tobey Maguire Gives Back Dirty Money

SEPTEMBER 24--Tobey Maguire has returned nearly $200,000 that a bankruptcy trustee alleged was improperly given to the "Seabiscuit" star by his disgraced former investment adviser. The 28-year-old actor is the latest celebrity to settle a "fraudulent conveyance" lawsuit brought by the court-appointed trustee overseeing the financial ruins of The Cassandra Group, which was once headed by the felonious Dana Giacchetto, a former pal of Maguire and Leonardo DiCaprio. In August 2000, Giacchetto pleaded guilty to defrauding his lesser-known clients of millions, some of which the crook diverted to boldfaced names like Maguire, Cameron Diaz, and Alanis Morissette. The celebrities apparently unwittingly believed the money represented investment returns, not funds misappropriated by Giacchetto, who spent 28 months in federal custody for his swindles. In the below settlement agreement, filed last week in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in New York, Maguire claims that he forked over $197,500 to "avoid the expense and delay of further litigation." The actor's hefty disbursement will be divvied up between Giacchetto's numerous creditors. (7 pages)