Business & Tech
Twin Cities THC Beverage Co-Founder Embezzled $75K From ‘Crooked Beverage Company,’ Complaint Says
Investigators say Christian Liam Schenk owed his ex-wife $305,411.23 and admitted to fake attorney emails uncovered during the fraud probe.
EDEN PRAIRIE, MN — A co-founder of Crooked Beverage Company is accused of stealing more than $75,000 from the startup through personal spending and bank transfers, according to a felony complaint filed in Hennepin County District Court.
Christian Liam Schenk, 46, was charged with theft-by-swindle and felony theft. If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in prison and a $100,000 fine.
Police say the largest transfer came on Aug. 3, 2023, weeks after Schenk resigned from the company.
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According to the complaint, Schenk moved $47,950 out of the company’s JP Morgan Chase account and into another account he controlled. Investigators say the money was then used for credit-card payments, a transfer to a separate account, and a payment to Iowa State University.
The complaint also outlines earlier spending that investigators say came from the company’s Square account. More than $20,000 in online sales was not deposited into the business’s main bank account, and personal purchases were made from the Square account at Louis Vuitton, Tiffany & Co., Discount Tire, Sea Life Minnesota, and other retailers, according to prosecutors.
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Investigators reviewed the company’s Chase account as well and reported nearly $1,000 in personal Amazon orders, including toys, clothing, and household items, most of which were shipped to Schenk’s home.
The complaint states that nearly $59,000 was transferred out of the company’s bank account under the description of rent payments, though landlord records showed about $38,000 in actual rent was received.
Separately, the complaint references information from a Carver County court order in Schenk’s divorce case. That document states Schenk owed his ex-wife $305,411.23 under a charging order and admitted to fabricating emails sent under a Minnesota attorney’s name regarding that order.
According to the complaint, Schenk told investigators he took the $47,950 because he was “super pissed” and believed he was owed the money.
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