Properties seized in $1.1 million Door County fraud conviction to go to auction

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5 days ago

Two properties and their contents seized as part of a large-scale fraud investigation in Door County are going up for auction now that the man accused of the frauds was convicted, the Door County Sheriff's Office announced.
They belonged to Dale Forrest Pautsch, 81, of the town of Nasewaupee, who pleaded no contest during a Feb. 12 appearance in Door County Circuit Court to 15 charges of defrauding almost two dozen elderly Door County residents out of more than $1.1 million.
Going up for auction are a residential property at 8089 Stewart Lane in Nasewaupee, which was listed as Pautsch's residence in the state court system, and a business property, the Little Brown Jug tavern at 8952 County C in the town of Gardner. The complaint against Pautsch accused him of using proceeds gained from his fraudulent actions to buy the Little Brown Jug in December of 2016 and cover its expenses. The contents of both properties also will be sold.
Pautsch initially was arrested and charged with four counts against two victims in June 2024, but the Door County Sheriff's Office and Sturgeon Bay Police Department announced at the time that they would want to hear from others who may have been defrauded by him.
According to the complaint, the Sturgeon Bay Police Department began investigating Pautsch in September of 2022 for work Pautsch had performed as a tax preparer and investment consultant for an 81-year-old woman. The complaint said checks from the woman that were meant for investments and a tax bill were instead deposited into a personal bank account in Pautsch's wife's name and used by Pautsch for personal expenses.
Meanwhile, the sheriff's office began an investigation in May 2024 that, according to the complaint, saw Pautsch use more than $610,000 deposited by an 85-year-old woman over five years into a wealth management account set up by him to instead buy the Little Brown Jug and cover tavern expenses as well as personal expenses. The woman attempted to withdraw money from the account in May and was told the account was empty and was closed in January 2023.
Eventually, Pautsch ended up being charged with 13 counts of theft in a business setting and two counts of money laundering. Two of the 13 theft counts were for amounts of more than $100,000, eight were for amounts between $10,000 and $100,000, two for amounts of $5,000 to $10,000 and one for an amount between $2,500 and $5,000. One of the money laundering counts was for an amount of more than $100,000 and the other for an amount between $10,000 and $100,000. All are felonies and carry a modifier for crimes against an elderly or disabled person.
Auction of the seized properties and assets will be handled by Massart Auctioneers, Inc., of Green Bay. Moveable assets and property from the Little Brown Jug will be sold by online auction on the Massart Auctioneers website, expected to start on or about May 13, while moveable assets and property from the residence is expected to go to auction on or about June 12, also via an online auction on Massart's website. Information for the auction of the real estate for both properties will be announced later.
Pautsch is awaiting sentencing, with a hearing scheduled for 1 p.m. May 29.
For more information about the auctions, call Massart Auctioneers at 920-468-1113 or email [e-mail].
Contact Christopher Clough at 920-562-8900 or [e-mail].
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This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: Properties seized in $1.1 million Door County fraud case go to auction