By Frank Parlato
Court names Bank of America, Fidelity, and Eyes Above Productions — sets April 14 deadline
A federal judge Tuesday ordered Christopher Ambrose to produce his bank records by April 14 or face mandatory dismissal of his defamation lawsuit against forensic psychiatrist Dr. Bandy X. Lee — and left open a request to refer him to the U.S. Attorney for criminal investigation
Ambrose sued Lee after she publicly diagnosed him with psychopathic traits and declared him a danger to his children — statements that arose from her involvement in his Connecticut divorce and custody proceedings.
U.S. District Judge Sarala V. Nagala’s order to see his bank records and his lease on his home stems from allegations that Ambrose committed fraud on the court by swearing under oath that he was too poor to pay the $405 filing fee when he sued Lee in March 2025.
The judge named accounts at Bank of America and Fidelity, and financial records for Eyes Above Productions, Inc., Ambrose’s California-registered entertainment company.
Ambrose claimed he had zero income in his poverty affidavit.
Judge Nagala spelled out the consequences in her ruling. If the documents show the poverty claim was false, she wrote, the court is “required” to dismiss. She quoted the Seventh Circuit directly: “the suit had to be dismissed; the judge had no choice.”
What the Judge Ordered
Judge Nagala ordered Ambrose to file monthly statements for March 2025 for every financial account under his custody or control, including personal and business checking and savings accounts, retirement accounts, and investment or brokerage accounts.
It also ordered him to produce a copy of his current lease.
On his poverty affidavit, Ambrose listed his monthly rent as $2,450. His actual rent at 153 Middle Beach Road — a furnished beachfront property valued at over $2.2 million — is $3,750 per month, according to the lease. A difference of $1,300 every month from what he told the court.
When confronted with the discrepancy, Ambrose told the court the understatement was the result of “technical confusion between gross and net rental obligations.”
The lease does not state that there is a gross rent and net rent. There is a number he pays every month: $ 3,750. The landlord’s name is on it, the tenant’s name is on it, and the monthly amount is on it.
When Judge Nagala sees the lease, she will see the number Ambrose actually pays ($3,750), side by side with what he claimed ($2,450).
All other deadlines in the case are on hold pending the court’s review of those documents.
What Ambrose Already Admitted
In opposing Lee’s supplemental motion, Ambrose acknowledged understating his rent, attributing the discrepancy to “technical confusion between gross and net rental obligations.” He acknowledged failing to disclose his retirement account balances, claiming he believed they were exempt from disclosure.
He did not address allegations that he receives quarterly royalty and residual checks from the Writers Guild of America West, paid through Eyes Above Productions. He told the judge he had zero income.
He also did not address allegations that he overstated the financial support he provides to his two adult children.
The Record Behind the Motion
Lee’s supplemental motion to dismiss, filed January 26, 2026, was supported by a sworn declaration from Ambrose’s 19-year-old daughter, Mia.
Mia stated that she did not live with her father, had not received financial support from him, and that he had withheld her Social Security card, passports, and identity documents. She stated that Ambrose’s sworn representations to the court — that she was a full-time high school student living in his household and receiving his financial support — were false.
Judge Nagala distinguished Mia’s declaration from the rest of Lee’s supporting evidence, treating it as the evidentiary anchor of the supplemental motion.
Mia, 19, and Chris Ambrose by MK10ART
The Criminal Referral
Lee’s motion asked Nagala to refer Ambrose to U.S. Attorney David X. Sullivan for investigation under three federal statutes: perjury (18 U.S.C. § 1621), false statements (18 U.S.C. § 1001), and wire fraud (18 U.S.C. § 1343).
Nagala did not deny the request. She deferred ruling on Lee’s motion pending receipt of the financial documents.
Ambrose has until April 14 to produce the documents. If they confirm what Lee’s motion and Mia’s declaration allege, dismissal is mandatory. The criminal referral decision follows.
The case is Ambrose v. Lee, No. 3:25-CV-398 (SVN), U.S. District Court for the District of Connecticut. Frank Parlato is a defendant in a related action filed by Ambrose, No. 3:25-CV-1151 (SVN), pending before the same judge.
ARTVOICE ART
See also:
Ambrose Stole His Daughter’s Identity for Food Stamps
A $405 Filing May Finally Expose Christopher Ambrose — His Daughter Just Blew the Case Open
Claiming Poverty From a $2.2M Beach House: The Ambrose Affidavit Story
The Rent Explanation That Explains Nothing
