Indiana law firm commences lawsuit in Keenan Hauke Ponzi scheme

NOBELSVILLE, Ind. (WISH) - The law firm Starr, Austen, and Miller announced that they have commenced a law suit against the accounting firm and its employees who were involved in the Keenan Hauke Ponzi scheme.

Keenan Hauke, a former Fishers, Ind. Money manager, plead guilty in federal court in December2011 to securities fraud. He was later sentenced to over 10 years in prison. Although Hauke is in jail, authorities are still trying to place the $10 million in investor losses that were lost during the Ponzi scam.

The scheme was run through the limited liability company Ponzi managed. Starr Austen and Millet filed a complaint that Ponzi’s company, Samex Capital Partners LLC, was not equipped to do their job. The complaint argues that Samex was not verifying information they used in their accounting statements. .

The law firm also says that Samex failed to monitor bank accounts for fraud. Therefore, Hauke’s use of investor funds for personal use was not reported.

Scott Starr of Starr, Austen and Millet says, “The filing of this lawsuit signifies an important step in Mr. Wendling's attempt to recover some of the money Keenan Hauke stole from members of his own community.” He says the fraud should have been discovered years earlier.