When Rebecca's run was cancelled, Hotton's lies cost 130 people jobs, and derailed the movement of the Broadway musical at the end of 2012. Hotton confessed to the scheme, and asked to serve time. In addition to the three years in federal lockup, his sentencing included a $68,000 repayment to Rebecca producer Ben Sprecher.
According to the news site, "the show was about $4 million shy of the needed financing to open when Hotton emerged on the scene, promising access to millionaire investors for a finder’s fee. But the investors were make-believe, and when producers got suspicious about one of them, the scammer had him 'die' from malaria."
Producer Sprecher has not left plans to still bring Rebecca to Broadway, and is shooting for a 2015 fall opening.
