DENVER — A federal judge in Colorado ordered two of the stars of the 1971 action movie “Billy Jack” to pay $70,333 to a Fort Collins woman who accused them of securities fraud and breach of contract.
In the suit, RaShelle Wilms says she signed an agreement with the film’s stars, Tom Laughlin and Delores Taylor, saying she would give them $50,000 to help make another film in the franchise, which follows a former Green Beret struggling to come to terms with his American Indian ancestry. According to the suit, Laughlin and Taylor promised to repay Wilms with 12 percent interest by Aug. 31, 2009, but she had only received $2,500 as of last year.
Wilms accused Laughlin in the suit of misleading her by overstating how much money he had raised toward the film’s $15 million production cost.
Laughlin and Taylor, who are representing themselves in court, could not be reached for comment Monday. The two have filed a notice to appeal. Liz Navratil, The Denver Post
