Dobbed
in by his former wife, Jason Charles Dean has been ordered to pay $US15.7
million following thefts from his employer Americhip Inc.
Alerted in early 2013 that Mr Dean was
skimming money from the company, Americhip senior management launched an
investigation into their Hong Kong based employee. He had stolen more than $US ten million from
Americhip buying properties in China, Hong Kong and New Zealand according to his
former wife, angry that her husband had fathered a child with Americhip
staffmember Juan Chen.
Americhip designs and sells promotional
products. Americhip staff confronted Mr
Dean and Ms Chen at his property in Mairangi Bay on Auckland’s North Shore with
evidence he had defrauded the company by submitting inflated invoices for work
done, claiming expenses not incurred, directing payments to dummy companies set
up with names similar to Americhip suppliers and using Americhip staff to
complete manufacturing work “off the books”.
They confessed and promised to reimburse the company, then fled. Americhip has been unable to trace the two.
In the High Court at Auckland, Americhip
gave formal proof of the frauds committed by Mr Dean and Ms Chen. Judgment was entered for $US15.7 million: US$12.9
million for money proved to be stolen plus interest. They were held liable for deceit and breach
of fiduciary duty as employees.
Americhip was awarded possession of Mr Dean’s Mairangi Bay home,
purchased in April 2013 for $1.95 million.
Americhip
v. Dean – High Court (11.08.16)
16.127