More background on Hunter’s legal problems

by Matt Watson on Aug 27, 2008 6:15 PM EDT

Dave Dial at MLive's Full-Court Press has unearthed a little more background on Lindsey Hunter's brush with the FBI, finding alleged victim Bruce McClellan's personal account of the story at FlippingFrenzy.com.

McClellan describes every step of what went down, and it's worth pointing out that Hunter seemed to have a hands off approach in the early going, at least in terms of apparently never meeting McClellan face-to-face until after months after the purchase was consummated. Hunter did add McClellan to one of his bank accounts, but even that was done over the phone:

On March 30, 2007, Ivan Johnson called to tell me that he needed me to meet him at LaSalle Bank in Farmington Hills, MI, where it was necessary for me to add my name to Lindsey and Ivy (wife) Hunter’s bank account. When I asked why my name was being added to Lindsey’s account, Ivan told me that this was necessary so it appeared to the bank that I had more money than I really did, which would help me qualify for the loan. When I asked Ivan why Lindsey wasn’t worried about adding me to his personal account, Ivan told me that Lindsey knew that I was an honest person and that I would never attempt to steal from him (which of course was true—I would never steal money from anyone).

Ivan Johnson and I went to the bank together where Ivan called Lindsay Hunter on his phone. Lindsey spoke to LaSalle Bank employee Shatha Atcho-Salmu, and from what I could hear of the conversation, it was obvious that they knew each other. Anyway, with the assistance of LaSalle Bank’s Shatha Atchoo-Salmu, and without Lindsey Hunter or his wife Ivy Hunter present, I signed my name onto Lindsey and Ivy’s account, which I was told Lindsey had authorized.

When the house didn't sell and McClellan grew antsy, he demanded to meet Hunter in person -- and as far as I can tell, this was the first time McClellan actually met Hunter in person:

A few days later, Ivan called and told me that Lindsey had invited me to a Detriot Pistons home basketball game for the day of October 24, 2007. After being treated like a VIP in a private suite during the game, Lindsey, Ivan and I went to an upscale restaurant in Bloomfield Hills (MI), where Lindsey proceeded to tell me that everything for the real estate investment deal was in great shape—he reconfirmed that they had a buyer lined up and ready to buy the house from us for $2.1 Million—and that he wasn’t going to do me wrong or get me involved in any illegal activities. Lindsey even went as far as to tell me that he was financially set for the rest of his life, he wanted to make me and Ivan millionaires within the next one to two years, and that he wanted to make me a partner in L&I Enterprises, LLC."

I recommend reading the entire article, but bear in mind it's completely one-sided. We still don't know Hunter's version of events, and we probably won't until the investigation is complete. Even though this side of the story is coming directly from McClellan, who makes no attempt to hide his belief that Hunter has wronged him, Ivan Johnson, the business partner who found McClellan and walked him through every step of the process, comes across as more culpable. Time will tell.

Tweet Comment 17 comments | 0 recs |

Do you like this story?

Comments

I don’t know anything about the American legal system, but wouldn’t the fact that Hunter never authorized that account in person be a little problem for McClellan and his story.
It will be interesting to see what happens, although I hope Lindsey doesn’t go to gaol.

by Laughton on Aug 27, 2008 7:38 PM EDT reply actions

I think I prefer it when someone else reads the article and summarizes it for me. Is that wrong?

by Garrett on Aug 27, 2008 11:18 PM EDT reply actions

As long as you’re not the judge it’s ok :)

by Big Mike on Aug 28, 2008 12:29 AM EDT reply actions

“Say it ain’t so….umm Lindsey”

by PistonsGirl4Life on Aug 28, 2008 3:39 AM EDT reply actions

It’s wrong to judge so early, but a big part of me is hoping that Lindsey doen’t get off light. A person with such a great situation in life shouldn’t be anywhere near this kind of stuff. Some will spin it as ignorance, but it seems like good old fashioned greed to me.

by LanierFan on Aug 28, 2008 9:03 AM EDT reply actions

OT: Marty Burns at SI mentioned in his mailbag that he still thinks “Rasheed Wallace is likely to be traded sometime this season, maybe to Charlotte where he can hook up with Larry Brown and all those former fellow Tar Heels. But I also could see a scenario where Dumars decides to keep the core together for one more run.”

In other words, this is not a trade rumor, its not news, just the opinion of a sportswriter. I only mention it because all we’ve talked about on DBB this week is politics and mortgages. Is it October yet?

by Mike Payne on Aug 28, 2008 10:19 AM EDT reply actions

Walter Sharpe gets shot in Birmingham AL for no reason other than being an innocent bystander. Walter Sharpe gets arrested for disorderly conduct in college but never charged and released.

Pistons fans make a big deal out of it.

Lindsey Hunter is involved in an apparent scam from the gitco and Pistons fans try to defend him.

Something doesn’t jive here.

It must be that Pistons fans have come to love Lindsey over the years and Pistons fans know nothing about Sharpe.

Yes the new American way. If we know you and love you, you must be innocent of charges. If we don’t know you or like you you must be guilty.

Bah humbug

by Mike on Aug 28, 2008 11:03 AM EDT reply actions

Lindsey is gonna get locked up. Ha ha ha, the farthest person I would think. Why doesnt Lindsey wanna get me rich?

by Ronnie on Aug 28, 2008 11:06 AM EDT reply actions

The only thing I can think of now is Lindsey cruisin’ around the D like Wayne Brady on the Chappelle Show. “White people like Lindsey Hunter… because he makes Grant Hill look like Malcolm X.”

It’s funny in my mind but kinda sad in reality.

by Rob G on Aug 28, 2008 11:28 AM EDT reply actions

@Mike:
That’s not necessarily a fair assumption. Our collective response to the Walter Sharpe signing was fueled by a shock factor. No one saw that coming, no one knew what it meant other than a handful of people: Joe Dumars, Michael Curry and Walter Sharpe.

Besides, if Lindsey Hunter is found guilty, I want him taking off that Pistons uniform and never putting it on again.

by Mike Payne on Aug 28, 2008 11:48 AM EDT reply actions

I hardly think a Shoeless Joe Jackson quote counts as standing up for Lindsey. Go watch the movie again. The kid says “Say it ain’t so Joe, say it ain’t so” at the EXACT moment it’s obviously “So” and Jackson is basically done in baseball.

I’m no judge but this doesn’t look good.

by PistonsGirl4Life on Aug 28, 2008 3:20 PM EDT reply actions

PG4l, is that an Eight Men Out reference? Love that flick.

by Quick Darshan on Aug 28, 2008 4:54 PM EDT reply actions

Mike (no other names after Mike),

Perhaps we make a big deal out of a guy getting shot because getting shot and being involved in something like this are 2 totally different things.

Perhaps because involving your life around people who like to pop shots is possibly more dangerous than duping a guy into buying a house that is way above his means. Why should fans of a team be interested in a guy who got capped? What if Sharpe had been hanging out with like, oh I dunno, Amir at a Christmas party and Sharpe’s friends decide they want to blast someone.

Sure, Lindsey should get in trouble but who’s the dumbass signing his name to papers for a what, $1.5m house when he’s likely cashing his $17 per hour job paychecks at the local cash and carry anyway?

Put the soap box away and come back to reality.

by Boney on Aug 28, 2008 5:35 PM EDT reply actions

Walt as he prefers to be called is from Birmingham.

I know I am dating myself when I say this but Birmingham has never been African-American friendly.

Walt unfortunately wasn’t the first and more unfortunately won’t be the last African-American who gets shot in Birmingham simply because unfortunately that is the way that Birmingham remains until this day.

by Mike on Aug 28, 2008 8:21 PM EDT reply actions

QD, you betcha…. 2.99 of discount bin VHS goodness.

Plus it’s nice to remember when John Cusack (sp?) had a full head of hair.

by PistonsGirl4Life on Aug 28, 2008 11:50 PM EDT reply actions

one piece of info will make a world of difference. one piece that we don’t know. DID LINDSEY flip other houses like this? Are there other straw men??

If so, Lindsey is going to go to jail as a high profile example. Something I don’t like to think about, frankly.

Hunter has been a fine Piston. He, as much as anyone, has defined the Piston spirit. His shooting ain’t that great. he ain’t a pure 1. he ain’t really a 2 because his shooting ain’t that great… hehe .but he gets by on EFFORT and SOLID D. PISTON DNA.

I think a lot of the silence in the Piston fan community is a result of shock and a hope that somehow this ain’t true.

by roboto on Aug 29, 2008 1:21 AM EDT reply actions