MARCH 5, 2010
TO: Employees, Stockholders, and the Public
FROM: David Flick, Principal and Founder
It is with great disappointment that we learn today of allegations regarding the significant misappropriation of funds by a former accounting employee of our company. The employee was terminated in December 2009 for reasons unrelated to the allegations. The discovery of the misappropriation occurred after the employee’s termination from our Leawood, Kansas office.
A civil matter with court-ordered restraining order is filed in Henry County, Missouri regarding the misappropriation of funds from an independently-owned corporation. Additional civil and criminal investigations are on-going. We are cooperating with local and state law enforcement, the United States Attorneys’ Office, Federal Bureau of Investigation and Internal Revenue Service regarding the allegations. At the same time, our corporate attorneys, accountants and private investigators are working diligently to determine the extent of misappropriations across other companies that are owned in full or in part by me.
Each of our businesses is operated by senior staff, general managers and managing principals according to a strict sense of family values emulated by each of our stockholders, the Flick family and its many generations. We consider employees, their spouses and children as extensions of our family. In times like this, it is easy for hearts to harden as allegations of mistrust are substantiated through due process. Challenges such as the current only serve to strengthen our resolve to continue supporting the needs of each employee and their family. It is through the efforts of each employee that we achieve our business purpose - the advancement of outstanding conservation initiatives.
Future information regarding civil and criminal matters relating to this incident can be obtained through our agent, Mr. Eric Collins, principal attorney with Collins & Jones, P.C., in Raymore, Missouri or through local, state and federal law enforcement agencies. Mr. Collins can be reached at 816-318-9966.
