But two years in, Richard had quietly altered the partnership agreements and funneled assets into a shell company. He hired a high-priced lawyer to find loopholes that Bill, a simple mechanic, didn’t even know existed. One Monday morning, Bill showed up to work only to find he had been “terminated” and his shares were worthless.
Bill tried to fight it in court, but he was outgunned. Richard had the money, the lawyers, and the influence. Bill was bled dry by legal fees until he had nothing left. The stress was too much for his wife; she fell ill and passed away within six months, leaving Bill to raise five-year-old Sarah alone in a rented apartment.
But Bill hadn’t just given up. He had gone to work at the plant, raised his daughter, and spent twenty years quietly documenting everything. He had tracked down the original bookkeeper who had moved out of state. He had found the bank records Richard thought were shredded. He had built a mountain of evidence, piece by piece.
A formal investigation had been opened three months prior, but Richard hadn’t been served yet. The envelope contained a copy of a civil RICO filing and a notice of a criminal indictment for fraud and embezzlement. Because of the nature of the documents and the ongoing concealment, the statute of limitations had been bypassed.
Richard was looking at the total loss of his business and potential prison time. “You son of a…” Richard surged to his feet, knocking his chair over. His face was purple with rage. “You’ve been sitting on this? All this time?” Bill stood his ground.
“I wasn’t sitting, Richard. I was waiting. There’s a difference.” “I’ll bury you! I’ll have you sued for everything you’ve got!” “You already did that, Richard. Twenty-three years ago.”
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