Lawsuit takes on debt-modification firm
A lawsuit filed in Georgia against an Indianapolis firm that helps consumers settle debt is just one in a parade of complaints targeting the industry.
Fraud
Articles
Dan Laikin spurred probe of Tim Durham, filings reveal
The FBI had been investigating Tim Durham since March 2009, when his friend Dan Laikin, a Fair Finance board member, offered up incriminating information on the Indianapolis financier in hopes of securing a lighter sentence for himself in an unrelated case.
Feds say wiretaps show evidence of financial plot
A federal judge in Indianapolis refused to throw out wiretap evidence in the $200 million fraud trial of former Indiana businessman Tim Durham as the government outlined a case largely based on those recordings.
Local attorney charged with defrauding clients of $2.5M
William F. Conour, 64, turned himself in to federal authorities Friday morning, accused of engaging in a scheme from December 2000 to March 2012 to defraud his clients, using money obtained from new settlement funds to pay for old settlements and debts.
Judge slaps down attorneys behind ITT fraud lawsuit
Judge Tanya Walton Pratt late last month granted ITT’s motion for attorney’s fees and sanctions against Mississippi attorney Timothy Matusheski, as well as two law firms that worked with him on the case—Motley Rice LLC in Los Angeles and Plews Shadley Racher & Braun LLP in Indianapolis.
Would-be philanthropist sentenced in check-fraud case
A 70-year-old Trafalgar man who made empty promises of multimillion-dollar gifts to local cultural institutions was sentenced to six years of probation Thursday morning in an unrelated check-fraud case.
Carmel man charged with defrauding Medicaid of $1M
Businessman Donald Hamilton faces one count of health care fraud, five counts of false statements in a health care matter and two counts of money laundering. He faces a maximum sentence of 55 years if convicted on all counts.
Two charged in $2.2M scheme against Colts’ Freeney
A financial adviser for Indianapolis Colts defensive end Dwight Freeney and the adviser's lover have been arrested on federal wire fraud charges that allege they swindled about $2.2 million from the lineman.
Ex-investment manager Hauke gets 10 years for fraud
Keenan Hauke of Fishers, who pleaded guilty to securities fraud in December after costing hedge fund clients $7 million, received a 10-year federal prison sentence Friday morning.
Indianapolis attorney pleads guilty to theft charges
An Indianapolis attorney has pleaded guilty to theft charges after prosecutors say she took nearly $600,000 from two accounts for which she was responsible.
Zionsville real estate schemer sentenced to 30 months
A Zionsville man who pushed real-estate investing schemes has been sentenced to 30 months in prison after pleading guilty to wire fraud and money laundering.
Attorney General sues 2 firms over Super Bowl rentals
The lawsuit charges that Super Week Lodging and Major Event Rentalz took money up front without providing services or refunds.
Fair bankruptcy trustee alleges complicity by silence
Lawyers overseeing Fair Finance's liquidation charge that, every step of the way, businesspeople who crossed Tim Durham’s path and witnessed questionable behavior looked the other way—because it was highly profitable for them to do so.
Fair Finance trustee sues former owner for $150M
The lawsuit charges Donald Fair knew Tim Durham was looting the business but kept quiet to collect millions of dollars in payments scheduled to be made from 2002 to 2007.
Charlie White faces sentencing after 6 felony convictions
Each of the charges White, Indiana's secretary of state, was convicted of is a class D felony carrying a penalty of six months to three years in prison.
Wiretaps suggest Durham tried to sugarcoat Fair’s woes
Transcripts of phone conversations capture Fair Finance CEO Tim Durham discussing ways to recast company financials to mitigate Ohio securities regulators’ concerns about massive insider loans.
More Fair suits target Durham family members
Those named in the latest lawsuits include Tim Durham’s ex-wife, Joan SerVaas; B.J. Durham, SerVaas’ biological son who was adopted by Durham; and the financier’s sister, Courtney Durham.
Trustee seeks $1B from Fair Finance’s lenders
Fair Finance Co.’s bankruptcy trustee finally has found some deep pockets to go after in his quest to recover money for the small-time Ohio investors who lost more than $200 million when the Tim Durham-led company failed two years ago.
Latest Fair suits target Kato Kaelin, playmate, many others
A former Playboy playmate, a well-known rapper and local businessmen are among the defendants in a barrage of lawsuits filed by a bankruptcy trustee trying to collect funds for investors of Fair Finance Co., the defunct Ohio firm led by Tim Durham.
Big-promising donor to area charities coming up empty
A Johnson County man whose home is listed for sheriff’s sale and who has filed for bankruptcy protection twice and been convicted of check fraud managed to convince several Indianapolis cultural institutions that he was good for multimillion-dollar gifts.