Denny Hecker, who pleaded guilty to bankruptcy fraud charges, has negotiated a plea deal but government officials still want to put him behind bars ahead of his October 18th trial date for criminal charges against him.
In the conspiracy plea, Hecker admitted he changed purchase agreements on vehicles to make the agreements look better to such lenders as Chrysler Financial. According to documents filed with the Minneapolis district court, Hecker and Steven Leach, a senior officer in Hecker’s fleet-leasing business, got about $80 million in fleet leasing financing from Chrysler Financial.
But even a plea deal could land Hecker behind bars for at least 10 years and does not account for punishment for the 20-plus other federal criminal charges Hecker faces when he goes to trial next month. Government officials have pointed out that even as Hecker was being charged with crimes ranging from bankruptcy fraud to wire fraud, he was still engaged in hiding assets. They said that this type of behavior shows that Hecker does not intend to pay for his crimes and may have no intention of even showing for his criminal trial. They further asserted that because of Hecker’s wealth and connections he is a flight risk and may attempt to leave the country instead of facing the charges against him and the possibility long prison term. Hecker’s attorney says that putting his client behind bars would make his job even more difficult because of the mounds of data that he and Hecker must sort through as they prepare his defense. Hecker is scheduled to have a hearing on this matter this week.