A DuPage County judge on Friday set an October sentencing date for the former owner of two west suburban specialty theaters who pleaded guilty this summer to evading $6 million in taxes and committing fraud.
Ted Bulthaup, 59, the former owner of the Hollywood Palms in Naperville and the Hollywood Boulevard in Woodridge, will be sentenced Oct. 26 by Judge Daniel Guerin.
Bulthaup entered a guilty plea in July to sales tax evasion and financial institution fraud. He could receive a prison term of four to 15 years for tax evasion and three to seven years for fraud, authorities said. He also has been ordered to make $6 million in restitution.
As part of his plea deal, the Illinois attorney general’s office agreed to dismiss more than 100 other counts that had been filed against Bulthaup, who is a Woodridge resident.
State authorities say Bulthaup systematically failed to report $18 million in sales at his two theaters between 2009 and 2013. He also was accused of creating fraudulent tax returns that overstated the amount of revenue generated at the theaters, according to court files. Bulthaup used the inflated revenue figures to help him qualify for loans, documents say.
Bulthaup no longer owns the theatres, which were known for screening specialty or off-beat films, often done with the appearance of celebrity or actor associated with the movie.
In 2011, Bulthaup filed a lawsuit against adult film actor Jenna Jameson when she backed out of an appearance to coincide with a screening of her movie “Zombie Strippers!” He eventually won a $92,000 judgment against Jameson.
Clifford Ward is a freelance reporter.
