Gene Haas Update: Trial Has Been Delayed
Wednesday, August 9th, 2006 7:11am CDT
By Luke, Thunder Lounge
Published on Thunder Lounge.
[thumb:362:l:s=1:l=x]Gene Haas was arrested in late June on charges of tax fraud, intimidating witnesses, and intimidating a federal agent. The report is that the tax charges cost the Fed’s nearly $20 million. He was finally granted bail later in the week, after it initially being denied because of his posing as a potential flight risk. Since that time, little has been heard from the owner of Haas Automation, who also owns the #66 in the Cup Series, and #00 in the Busch Series under the Haas CNC Racing banner.
In a move by Haas’ attorney’s this week they have managed to get the trial, that was originally scheduled for August 15th, pushed back until January 27th of 2007. Also, since his release, Gene Haas has had one of the counts of witness intimidation dropped from the suit. He is currently allowed to travel on business and to races within the US borders. The court must approve of the travel prior to it taking place. Haas maintains his innocence, and is preparing for a big fight in court.
Gene Haas was arraigned in late June, where he entered in a plea of not guilty.
According to a Haas Automation statement, Haas is not guilty and that the tax issues “revolve around†the company’s former chief financial officer, John Phillips. Read “John Phillips” as “scapegoat”, or “stool pigeon”, as he has worked out a deal to help the feds take down the larger fish of the operation, and is an unindicted co-conspirator.
Phillips told the FBI that he was told by Haas in 2001 to cheat the government out of more than $8.9 million in taxes. Charles Todd was described as the owner of a nonexistent company, Supermill (doing business as American Putter) who was supposedly paid $12 million for fake purchase orders, and then funneled 98% of that back to Haas.
Denis Dupuis, former general manager of Haas Automation, and Robert Cable, former salesman for the firm, were indicted and accused of helping fabricate the tax deductions. They were said to have been paid approximately 2% of the $23 million face value of the invoices according to the original indictment. The remaining 98% of the money was channeled back to Haas. The indictment says Haas cheated the government out of $12.5 million on his personal tax returns and $7.7 million on Haas Automation’s returns in 2000 and 2001.
Filed Under: Busch Series, Nascar, Nextel Cup
Trackback URL for: Gene Haas Update: Trial Has Been Delayed
Loading...
