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Television producer Alexander Breingan has been ordered to return to New Zealand from the United States to face charges of dishonestly obtaining funding for television productions.
The Serious Fraud Office filed 33 charges against Mr Breingan for allegedly making false representations and using forged documents to obtain more than $4.3 million in Government-funded rebates and $10.2 million in lending.
The alleged offending relates to the financing of 13 television programmes that were produced, or proposed to be produced, by Mr Breingan through his Stripe Studios companies.
A warrant for his arrest was issued in November 2025, and in May this year, the SFO lodged a formal application to extradite Mr Breingan from the United States.
Mr Breingan pleaded not guilty to all charges at the Auckland District Court last Thursday, where he appeared via video-link from Los Angeles. He also requested to have his arrest warrant withdrawn, to attend future court appearances remotely and made a commitment to return to New Zealand at least three months before his trial date as part of bail conditions.
The SFO opposed the requests. In support of that position, it submitted that Mr Breingan departed for the United States in April 2024, approximately one month after being made aware that his financial conduct had been referred to the SFO for investigation, and that he has not returned to New Zealand since.
The Court issued its decision yesterday, dismissing both applications. In the ruling, Judge David Clark said he considered the risk of Mr Breingan not voluntarily returning to New Zealand for his trial was too high, with bail conditions only enforceable domestically. Mr Breingan has been told he must return to New Zealand now to attend all hearings.
The SFO’s application to extradite Mr Breingan continues and is with the United States Department of Justice.
Mr Breingan is next due to appear in the Auckland District Court on 25 November 2026.
ENDS
About the SFO
The SFO is responsible for investigating and prosecuting serious or complex fraud, including bribery, and corruption in New Zealand. With a focus on maintaining integrity and trust in the financial system, the SFO has developed strategic areas of focus to ensure it has the greatest impact with the cases it takes in. These are reviewed and updated every 12-18 months.
