MIAMI – The owner of a Miami-based company that produces gay adult videos and lifestyle magazines is the target of a federal investigation for allegedly defrauding public schools out of millions in a scheme involving a nonprofit student organization. Flava Life, a gay entertainment magazine for black and Latino men, is owned by Phillip Bleicher. Another company he founded, the Student Leadership Network, is under federal investigation for allegedly defrauding schools out of millions.

Bleicher allegedly cashed bogus checks after persuading school officials to sign up for his program, which was promoted as offering leadership programs for students, according to Harpreet Khera of the Illinois Attorney General’s Office. Bleicher adamantly denied any wrongdoing and said a competitor in the adult video business was spreading lies about him and his company. “The allegations against me are absolutely false,” he said. Bleicher also owns Cocostore.com, which produces gay black and Latino porn videos. Bleicher is also facing allegations that his adult video business paid models more to engage in unsafe sex after his operations were shut down by the health department in Chicago.