When someone lands $1.4 million they didn’t earn, you may think they won the lottery, a sweepstakes, or some kind of raffle. But that’s not how Dale Warner did it, according to Billy Little, Jr., the investigative attorney working on the missing person case of Dee Ann Warner.
“He stole it from the federal government,” Little told me, “and I have the paperwork to prove it.”
Little produced the paperwork for me to review. Two documents stood out. Both were the Operating Agreement for Dale and Dee Warner’s farming business, War-Ag LLC. Both were dated March 7, 2006. The agreement allowed the two owners, Dale and Dee, to set their own policies on how the business would operate. One was the original, the other was fraudulent.
“The fraudulent one was produced by Dale Warner and Mark Weisberg after the disappearance of Dee,” Little said.
Dale hired Mark Weisberg to conduct business operations at Dale and Dee’s businesses. A strange choice considering Mr. Weisberg is a convicted felon for embezzlement.
The fraudulent document was two pages longer than the original. It added language that gave Dale the authority to take out loans, set up bank accounts, and apply for credit on behalf of the company. Sure enough, Dee’s signature was on one of the “additional” pages, except it was signed Dee A. (Bock) Warner. But, they weren’t married yet. Her name was still Dee Ann Bock. Their wedding was still five and a half months away.
Dee Ann Warner was reported missing on April 25, 2021. Little said, “In the fall of 2021, Dale applied for a $1.4M loan from the Small Business Association (SBA) EIDL Covid Relief Program. It’s to give small businesses working capital to overcome the effects of the pandemic. It is supposed to be used to pay for normal operating expenses like payroll and utilities, or to pay off business debt.”
But the money didn’t come fast enough for Dale Warner and Mark Weisberg. Mark called the SBA to find out why the loan hadn’t been funded. “They told Mark that they needed both Dale and Dee’s signature on the loan documents. Somehow, Mark sent the SBA a photocopy of Dee Warner’s driver’s license and electronically signed the loan as if he was Dee Warner. Mind you, he never mentioned Dee was missing or dead,” Little said. “I’m not sure how Mark was able to send her license since her wallet containing her credit cards and driver’s license has never been located.”
Regardless, the scheme worked. “On November 9, 2021, the SBA deposited a $500,000 check into the bank account of War-Ag LLC. Then, on November 26, 2021, using the authority granted to him in the fake Operating Agreement, Dale lent himself $500,000 and converted the SBA loan for his personal use,” Little said.
When I asked why Dale didn’t get the full $1.4M he applied for, Little said, “The second portion of the loan came on March 21, 2022. It was for $929,300. Seven days later, acting on behalf of War-Ag LLC, Dale lent himself $929,300 and, once again, converted the loan for his personal use.”
For a year and a half, the family of Dee Ann Warner, her friends, and the community have been rallying for an arrest of those involved in her disappearance. The case was moved from Lenawee County Sheriff’s Office to the Michigan State Police in early August. But now, as Little uncovers yet another financial crime perpetrated by Dee’s husband since she was last seen, the public needs to become involved more than ever.
You can reach SBA fraud hotline at 800–767–0385. You can also report fraud, waste, and abuse of an SBA program here. Either way, you can choose to remain anonymous.
To demand justice, call the Michigan State Police and start asking questions. Contact elected officials. They work for you. Here’s a list to start you off:
Governor Whitmer: Info@GretchenWhitmer.com
Attorney General Dana Nessel: miag@michigan.gov
Congressman Tim Walberg: (517) 780–9075
Senator Dale Zorn: zorn@senate.michigan (517) 373–3543
Feel free to add to the list in the comments!
Comments / 12