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Round Lake corporate pilot charged with theft
By Frank Abderholden
Dec 6, 2010
Rick James Hanson, 45, of the 250 block of Blackthorn Court in Round Lake, has been charged with one count of theft over $100,000 - $500,000. Hanson, the chief pilot for Family Video, a national DVD and video game chain based in Illinois, has been arrested after submitting nearly half a million dollars in forged aviation fuel receipts on his personal expense account
It almost sounds like a bad movie that went straight to video.
A Round Lake man who was chief pilot for Family Video, a national DVD and video game chain with a number of stores in Lake County, allegedly faked aviation fuel receipts for flying executives across the country, and used the nearly $500,000 for gifts and vacations.
Rick James Hanson, 45, of the 250 block of Blackthorn Court, was charged with one count of theft over $100,000 to $500,000, Cook County Sheriff Thomas Dart said Monday. Hanson was arrested at home Friday by the members of the Cook County Sheriff’s Police Financial Crimes Unit.
Hanson has been the company pilot for Family Video executives for 10 years, flying the company’s Citation 5 jet. While he had access to an aviation fuel credit card, he also was able to submit expense reports related to his flights.
Dart said the investigation began when the Glenview-based company hired a new bookkeeper. Family Video officials noticed excessive fuel receipts and discrepancies on Hanson’s expense reports dating back to 2007.
When investigators presented their evidence to Hanson, he admitted to the acts, saying he’d spent in excess of $400,000 on luxurious vacations and shopping trips, Dart said.
Hanson, who was immediately fired upon discovery of the fraud, posted 10 percent of a $100,000 bond on Saturday at Cook County Jail.
Family Video stores are located in Zion, Waukegan, Round Lake Beach, Mundelein, Lindenhurst and Grayslake.
By Frank Abderholden
Dec 6, 2010
Rick James Hanson, 45, of the 250 block of Blackthorn Court in Round Lake, has been charged with one count of theft over $100,000 - $500,000. Hanson, the chief pilot for Family Video, a national DVD and video game chain based in Illinois, has been arrested after submitting nearly half a million dollars in forged aviation fuel receipts on his personal expense account
It almost sounds like a bad movie that went straight to video.
A Round Lake man who was chief pilot for Family Video, a national DVD and video game chain with a number of stores in Lake County, allegedly faked aviation fuel receipts for flying executives across the country, and used the nearly $500,000 for gifts and vacations.
Rick James Hanson, 45, of the 250 block of Blackthorn Court, was charged with one count of theft over $100,000 to $500,000, Cook County Sheriff Thomas Dart said Monday. Hanson was arrested at home Friday by the members of the Cook County Sheriff’s Police Financial Crimes Unit.
Hanson has been the company pilot for Family Video executives for 10 years, flying the company’s Citation 5 jet. While he had access to an aviation fuel credit card, he also was able to submit expense reports related to his flights.
Dart said the investigation began when the Glenview-based company hired a new bookkeeper. Family Video officials noticed excessive fuel receipts and discrepancies on Hanson’s expense reports dating back to 2007.
When investigators presented their evidence to Hanson, he admitted to the acts, saying he’d spent in excess of $400,000 on luxurious vacations and shopping trips, Dart said.
Hanson, who was immediately fired upon discovery of the fraud, posted 10 percent of a $100,000 bond on Saturday at Cook County Jail.
Family Video stores are located in Zion, Waukegan, Round Lake Beach, Mundelein, Lindenhurst and Grayslake.
