Hecker Back In Court With Hopes To Get Out Of Jail
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Former Minnesota auto mogul Denny Hecker may have to trade his house arrest for a jail cell until he is sentenced in a few months. He is awaiting sentencing after pleading guilty to fraud charges.
Monday, Hecker appeared in court to say he wanted to drop his court-appointed attorney for private attorney Bill Mauzy.
The judge wanted Hecker to explain why taxpayers had been footing the bill for his court-appointed attorney over the summer while court documents showed Hecker had access to more than $200,000.
Hecker said it had gone toward paying his bills, including private school for his children. His friend, Ralph Thomas, said he had lent Hecker $50,000 to help pay for Mauzy's services and had lent Hecker more than $125,000 in the last two years.
The judge said Hecker had been lying to the court about his finances while a court-appointed attorney defended him free of charge. It wasn't the first time Hecker had been accused in a courtroom of understating his income and assets. The judge said Hecker needed a "wake-up call" and ordered him to jail.
Tuesday, a judge said he'd have to stay there until his sentencing in January. Hecker had been under house arrest after pleading guilty to two counts of fraud and conspiracy in connection with duping Chrysler Financial out of more than $13 million in loans.
A hearing was scheduled for Wednesday afternoon for Hecker and his attorneys to fully explain how his money was spent.
The judge decided to continue the hearing on Nov. 8 at 9 a.m. He says he wants more information from Hecker's attorneys.
