It might have been a pretty nice life for Thomas Hauk -- for a while anyway -- but frauds usually explode and this one was nothing different.
The US Marshals this week announced the auction of the Hauk’s spoils -- 25 vehicles, including Ferrari, Mclaren, BW and Porche cars worth more than $1.5 million.
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According to the United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, Hauk embezzled over $4 million from investors from his firm’s clients and just went to town with it. Aside from the high-end cars and motorcycles, during a five-year period, Hauk spent approximately $1,207,639 using three credit cards to purchase such items as: $30,500 at Hannoush Jewelry on a 2.5 karat diamond ring, $4,725 at Hannoush Jewelry on a 1887 Carrera bracelet, $6,458 at Hannoush Jewelry on a Tag Heuer Carrera watch, $4,464 at Hannoush Jewelry on another Carrera 1887 bracelet, $8,000 at Custom Wheels related to vehicle accessories, $10,123 at Reno’s Powersports related to motorcycles and vehicle accessories, $24,555 on insurance related expenses, $9,700 on Paypal transactions, $8,819 on airline related expenses, $6,468 on hotel related expenses, and $5,436 on Apple products and services.
Among the cars Hauk purchased a 2006 Ford GT for $223,249, a 2009 Ferrari for $205,953 and a 2014 Ducati motorcycle for $64,160. Hauk stored the vehicles and motorcycles in three storage units he purchased in Kansas City, Mo., for $163,500, the US Marshals office stated.
According to the US Marshals, Hauk perpetrated what it called an “On-the-Books” fraud scheme. The perpetrator of an “On-the-Books” scheme attempts to balance debits and credits in the accounting system to obfuscate transactions and avoid detection. Hauk stole money through a variety of methods and created false accounting entries in his company’s -- Assured Management -- accounting system. Hauk deposited checks from the victims into his business accounts and then wrote checks and cashier’s checks from his companies to his personal accounts and his trust.
Hauk was employed as an accountant at Assured Management from approximately 2005 to July 2015.
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The U.S. Marshals are holding the live and Web simulcast auction in Kansas City, Missouri, Thursday April 28.
The sale follows a February federal court forfeiture order related to the criminal case against Thomas Hauk in the Western District of Missouri. Hauk pleaded guilty to a $4 million embezzlement scheme on December 22, 2015.
Hauk’s case is currently in the sentencing phase which sees him facing a 16-count federal case with five counts of bank fraud, two counts of wire fraud, five counts of counterfeit securities and four counts of money laundering. Hauk is subject to a sentence of up to 30 years in federal prison without parole for each count of bank fraud, 20 years in federal prison for each count of wire fraud, 10 years in federal prison for each count of counterfeit securities and 10 years in federal prison for each count of money laundering, the US Marshals stated.
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