Chapter 6 - The Fall of the Inner Circle
By 8:00 AM the following morning, the financial world was in a state of complete meltdown.
Wall Street morning broadcasts carried one headline across every network: SWIFTFREIGHT COLLAPSES: CEO ARRESTED FOR ASSAULT AND FRAUD; $3.2B CRESTVIEW DEAL CANCELED.
SwiftFreight's private shares, once valued at nine billion dollars based on the expected Crestview infusion, plummeted by 85% in less than twelve hours. Commercial banks had frozen all of SwiftFreight's corporate credit lines, demanding immediate repayment of two hundred million dollars in short-term debt.
Inside the Hennepin County Adult Detention Center, Gavin sat in a cold, windowless interview room wearing an orange jumpsuit. His eyes were bloodshot, his hair unkempt, his hands handcuffed to the heavy steel table.
Across from him sat his high-priced criminal defense attorney, Marcus Thorne.
"What do you mean the bail was denied?!" Gavin slammed his handcuffed hands against the table, the metal rattling loudly. "I have fifty million dollars in liquid cash accounts! Pay the bond!"
"Those accounts don't exist anymore, Gavin," Thorne said grimly, opening a legal brief. "First thing this morning, Crestview Partners filed a emergency Mareva injunction in federal court. Because your fraudulent financial statements induced Crestview into prior preliminary funding agreements, the court issued a worldwide freeze on all your personal and corporate assets."
"All of them?!" Gavin gasped, his breath hitching in his chest.
"Every single cent," Thorne confirmed. "Your bank accounts, your house, your vehicles, your investment portfolios—frozen. Furthermore, your mistress, Charlotte Gable, tried to access your offshore account in the Cayman Islands at 4:00 AM today."
Gavin leaned forward, a flicker of hope in his eyes. "Did she get the money out? Did she hire a secondary legal team for me?"
Thorne let out a cold, cynical laugh. "She tried to wire two million dollars to her personal account in Dubai and buy a one-way ticket to Paris. The federal marshals arrested her at the gate at Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport. She’s currently sitting in Cell Block C, facing federal money laundering charges."
Gavin collapsed back into his chair, his eyes staring blankly at the gray concrete wall. "She... she tried to take the money and run?"
"She gave a full statement to the FBI twenty minutes ago," Thorne added mercilessly. "She swore under oath that you forced her to lie about the car scratch, that you planned the assault on your ex-wife, and that she was merely an innocent bystander following your orders."
Gavin buried his face in his hands, a dry, choked sob escaping his throat.
"And what about Mason?" Gavin rasped. "My CFO? He can testify that the debt structure was legal!"
"Mason signed a cooperation agreement with the Department of Justice two hours ago," Thorne said, closing his folder. "He handed over eight years of internal emails showing that you personally ordered the creation of shell companies to evade taxes and hide assets from Sabrina during your marriage. Gavin... you're looking at twenty to twenty-five years in federal prison."
May you like
Gavin looked up, tears finally streaming down his pale, hollow cheeks. "Where is Sabrina?"
"She's currently at the Crestview headquarters," Thorne replied quietly. "And from what I hear... she's preparing to buy what's left of your company for pennies on the dollar."
