San Francisco- from www.sfgate.com – An executive producer of the Exotic Erotic Ball charged with writing bad checks to a band, a hotel and an emergency services company has pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor and must spend a month in jail if he doesn’t pay restitution.

Howard Mauskopf, 53, who runs Perry Mann Productions in Beverly Hills, entered his plea Monday in San Mateo County Superior Court to a count of writing a bad check after prosecutors agreed to reduce it from a felony to a misdemeanor and dismiss felony grand-theft charges.

Mauskopf had been accused of writing two bad checks for $5,000 to the manager of the band Missing Persons in October 2009 in advance of that year’s Exotic Erotic Ball at the Cow Palace in Daly City. Mauskopf’s account was $12,000 in the red at the time, said District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe.

Mauskopf also used a fraudulent credit card to pay $908 for hotel rooms for the band, the prosecutor said.

Mauskopf also wrote three checks totaling $4,500 to the owner of an emergency medical services company, Wagstaffe said. Those checks bounced as well.

A restitution hearing will be held in November to determine how much Mauskopf owes. If he pays full restitution within a month of that hearing, he won’t have to spend 30 days in jail, Judge Lisa Novak said.

The case comes amid an uncertain future for the Exotic Erotic Ball. The 2010 event was to have taken place in Richmond after a long run on the other side of the bay, but poor ticket sales and cost overruns forced organizers to cancel.

The ball, a “celebration of flesh, fetish and freedom,” was first held in San Francisco 31 years ago and has long been associated with the city, even after its move to the Cow Palace in Daly City about 10 years ago.

Mann, the founder of the ball, said he is seeking an investor to keep the event alive. He said this year’s ball will take place Oct. 29 if he can find a financial partner.

“My sole desire is to save my baby,” Mann said.