***MEDIA ADVISORY***

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 3, 2014

RV PURCHASING AGENT CONVICTED OF THEFT, INVESTIGATION UNCOVERS MORE THAN $86,000 LOSS

Media Contact: Curtis T. Hill, Jr. (574) 296-1888

After approximately thirteen witnesses, three days of evidence and arguments and almost four hours of deliberations, an Elkhart County Jury found Kristian Horn guilty of Theft from his former employer, Forest River.

On December 29, 2011, the Elkhart County Prosecutor’s Office charged Kristian Horn with Theft from his former employer, Forest River. An investigation by Forest River and the Elkhart Police Department uncovered a loss of more than $86,000 after thousands of pieces of materials were fraudulently ordered, picked up, and sold to customers at the direction of Kristian Horn, Forest River Premiere Unit’s Purchasing Agent at the time. While Kristian Horn received around $30,000 - $40,000 in cash from multiple sales, Forest River received nothing but invoices charging them for all the ordered materials.

A jury trial took place from April 30 – May 2, 2014 in Elkhart Superior Court No. 5. The State’s case in chief showed that Kristian Horn had made approximately eighteen orders to various suppliers for specific amounts and types of plywood all, presumably, for Forest River. Rick Lower, owner of Bottom Dollar Surplus, testified that he was contacted by Kristian Horn with the opportunity to buy the plywood Kristian Horn told him was Forest River’s “surplus” inventory. Rick Lower testified it was not the first time he had purchased surplus from Forest River, but it was the first time he was ever directed to pick up the material from any place other than Forest River. At Kristian Horn’s direction, Rick Lower sent his driver to pick up the material and deliver it to various customers who paid approximately a third of the price the product was originally purchased for. The check was immediately cashed and while Rick Lower would take a percentage, he testified Kristian Horn came to his home the same evening after the transaction took place and collected the rest.

After November 24, 2010, at least seventeen more transactions like this occurred over a period of approximately three months and Rick Lower sent his driver to pick up orders of plywood from at least four different companies. Around thirteen different witnesses testified to Kristian Horn’s involvement in making these orders, the abnormalities in the orders themselves, and the investigation that took place once the invoices were discovered. The evidence presented included three texts sent from Kristian Horn to David Ganz, co-owner of National Products, requesting Ganz hide paperwork and lie to Kristian Horn’s boss about the orders being picked up. Ganz testified that these texts raised red flags as they showed “questionable ethics and business practices.” Gary Chamberlin, Forest River’s purchasing manager, was the last witness to testify and confirmed Forest River paid each and every invoice amounting to more than $86,000 for the thousands of pieces of material that were ordered without their consent and sold without their permission by Kristian Horn.

This case was tried by Deputy Prosecuting Attorneys Michelle Weeks and Eric Ditton in Superior Court 5 before Judge Charles Wicks. Sentencing is currently scheduled for May 29, at 1:00 PM.

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“Under Indiana law, all persons arrested for a criminal offense are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.”