MINNEAPOLIS -- First we covered Tom Petters. Last December, he was found guilty on federal charges of money laundering, conspiracy and fraud. Petters will be sentenced in March.
And now, the long journey through the federal court system begins for another local business mogul, Denny Hecker.
The charges are about the same. The amount of money at issue in the criminal charges is very different. Petters was convicted in a more than $3 billion dollar ponzi scheme. Hecker is charged with allegedly defrauding lenders and others of several million. If found guilty, Hecker could still go to prison for a very long time.
But just as Petters' trial played out every night on air and on line, I suspect Hecker will get the same attention. It's what happens when someone the community has had a chance to know through the growth of a business empire, when someone who willingly put themselves out in the public eye in climbing to the top of an industry, suddenly becomes the center of unwanted attention, accused of very serious crimes.
Hecker maintains his innocence and hasn't been shy about sharing parts of his story with members of the media. As this process moves along, it will be interesting to uncover the parts he didn't share with us. It will be up to the justice system to decide what parts lead to guilt or innocence.
I think this story has many layers to it. This is just the beginning. It will once again be our job to report in a way that is fair, balanced and accurate.
(Copyright 2010 by KARE. All Rights Reserved.)