HOLLAND (WHTC) — An Ottawa County man, Robert Allen Haveman, 68, has admitted to stealing millions from the Elsa D. Prince Living Trust between 1999 and 2015, totalling $16,240,000, according to a statement from U.S. Attorney Patrick A. Miles, Jr.
Haveman agreed to enter guilty pleas to wire fraud and money laundering, according to the Western District U.S. Attorney’s office statement.
The felony charges filed in U.S. District Court in Grand Rapids alleged that Haveman, while managing private equity investments for the Holland-based EDP Management Company created a scheme to take money from Elsa D. Prince-Broekhuizen and the Elsa D. Prince Living Trust. Elsa D. Prince-Broekhuizen’s children include Betsy DeVos and Erik Prince. Betsy DeVos is the wife of Amway Corporation co-founder Dick DeVos.
Investigators found that Haveman transferred money belonging to Prince-Broekhuizen and the Prince Trust to his personal bank account and other bank accounts. He covered the transfers using fals bookkeeping records and hid information Prince-Broekhuizen and others, Miles’ statement said.
Haveman was also charged with money laundering in connection with the purchase of vacant land on Lake Michigan in Ottawa County, according to the statement.
He faces maximum sentences of 20 years in prison on the fraud charge and 10 years for money laundering.
Haveman’s plea agreement acknowledges causing $16,240,000 in losses to the Prince Trust. An arraignment and change of plea will be scheduled with the U.S. District Court in Grand Rapids.
Miles’ statement included the caveat that “until a defendant enters his plea and is found guilty, charges in a felony information are merely accusations, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.”
The Internal Revenue Service criminal investigators are also on this case, which is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher O’Connor.
