Just in time for the holiday season, discovery+ has premiered the original special Fruitcake Fraud, which began streaming Dec. 1 on discovery+. Watch a trailer to the special here.
The Dallas NPR affiliate, KERA, also produced a segment about the documentary. To read, click here.
The gripping special follows the baffling case of a fraud at the Collin Street Bakery in Corsicana, Texas – long recognized as one of the world’s largest fruitcake distributors – after it was realized in 2013 that one of the bakery’s employees had embezzled nearly $17 million dollars to bankroll a lavish lifestyle of homes, watches, designer clothes and other luxury goods.
Over the course of the special, the investigation into and the prosecution of the nearly $17 million fraud is captured in vivid detail - highlighting not just the bewildering nature of the case itself but, the resilience of the bakery, and the strong community of Corsicana, as well.
Haynes and Boone, LLP Partner Nick Bunch, who previously worked for 11 years at the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Northern District of Texas in Dallas, was the lead prosecutor of the case. Nick said the case offers some good lessons for businesses, particularly for smaller or midsized businesses that may not have sufficient checks and balances to quickly detect an embezzlement.
“Companies, for example, need to establish procedures to have multiple eyes on their bank accounts and to ensure that one person is not left with sole authority to cut checks,” Bunch said. “Companies need to periodically review their accounting practices and have a game plan in place to quickly report a fraud when detected – and to preserve assets.”
At the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Nick tried more than 25 cases involving a wide variety of white-collar fraud and served in multiple leadership roles, including as Deputy Section Chief of the Fraud and Public Corruption Unit. He is a partner in Haynes Boone’s White Collar and Government Investigations Practices, where he represents corporate clients in high-stakes criminal and civil investigations.
Haynes and Boone, LLP is an international corporate law firm with offices in Texas, New York, California, Charlotte, Chicago, Denver, Washington, D.C., London, Mexico City and Shanghai, providing a full spectrum of legal services in energy, technology, financial services and private equity. With 600 lawyers, Haynes Boone is ranked among the largest U.S.-based firms by The National Law Journal, The American Lawyer and The Lawyer. It was recognized for excellence in the BTI Consulting Group’s 2021 “A-Team” report, which identifies the law firms that in-house counsel commend for providing superior client service.
The Dallas NPR affiliate, KERA, also produced a segment about the documentary. To read, click here.
The gripping special follows the baffling case of a fraud at the Collin Street Bakery in Corsicana, Texas – long recognized as one of the world’s largest fruitcake distributors – after it was realized in 2013 that one of the bakery’s employees had embezzled nearly $17 million dollars to bankroll a lavish lifestyle of homes, watches, designer clothes and other luxury goods.
Over the course of the special, the investigation into and the prosecution of the nearly $17 million fraud is captured in vivid detail - highlighting not just the bewildering nature of the case itself but, the resilience of the bakery, and the strong community of Corsicana, as well.
Haynes and Boone, LLP Partner Nick Bunch, who previously worked for 11 years at the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Northern District of Texas in Dallas, was the lead prosecutor of the case. Nick said the case offers some good lessons for businesses, particularly for smaller or midsized businesses that may not have sufficient checks and balances to quickly detect an embezzlement.
“Companies, for example, need to establish procedures to have multiple eyes on their bank accounts and to ensure that one person is not left with sole authority to cut checks,” Bunch said. “Companies need to periodically review their accounting practices and have a game plan in place to quickly report a fraud when detected – and to preserve assets.”
At the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Nick tried more than 25 cases involving a wide variety of white-collar fraud and served in multiple leadership roles, including as Deputy Section Chief of the Fraud and Public Corruption Unit. He is a partner in Haynes Boone’s White Collar and Government Investigations Practices, where he represents corporate clients in high-stakes criminal and civil investigations.
Haynes and Boone, LLP is an international corporate law firm with offices in Texas, New York, California, Charlotte, Chicago, Denver, Washington, D.C., London, Mexico City and Shanghai, providing a full spectrum of legal services in energy, technology, financial services and private equity. With 600 lawyers, Haynes Boone is ranked among the largest U.S.-based firms by The National Law Journal, The American Lawyer and The Lawyer. It was recognized for excellence in the BTI Consulting Group’s 2021 “A-Team” report, which identifies the law firms that in-house counsel commend for providing superior client service.
Note: KERA interviewed Bunch for its news report.
