Suit claims well-known Nevada businessman embezzled millions
By Martha Bellisle, Reno Gazette-Journal
The former business partners of Harvey Whittemore — a well-known Nevada lobbyist, land developer, businessman and lawyer — filed a civil lawsuit Friday claiming he embezzled millions of dollars from the Wingfield company they ran together and misappropriated corporate funds and assets.
The suit, filed in Clark County District Court by lawyers for the Wingfield Nevada Group Holding Co., claims that Whittemore’s Wingfield partners, Thomas Seeno and Albert Seeno Jr., confronted Whittemore in 2010 about numerous discrepancies they found in the Wingfield financial books and Whittemore “prepared himself a written confession” admitting the alleged crimes.
The suit also names Annette Whittemore, his wife, and the Lakeshore House Limited Parternship.
“Acting as a manager of Wingfield, Whittemore has admitted and confessed to engaging to over 20 different financial transactions designed to deplete Wingfield of its assets for the sole purposes of enhancing and promoting Whittemore’s financial condition and to further his standing in the political community of Nevada,” the suit said.
“These allegations are false,” the Whittemores said in an email. “We will take any and all steps necessary to preserve the reputation for integrity that we have built in this state for over 40 years.”
The company is the developer of Wingfield Springs and Red Hawk Golf Course in Spanish Springs. It also is sole or majority owner of a list of entities, including Coyote Springs Investment, Red Hawk Land Co., Western Electronics, known as Wild West Sound Co., and Wingfield Springs Realty.
Tom and Albert Seeno Jr., of California, are part-owners of Peppermill Casino Inc.
Kent Robison, one of the Wingfield lawyers, said in an email that the allegations have been reported to the Reno Police Department.
