The ex-Wharf operator in Grand Haven?
 

Search warrant served at Bridgewater Place office

Updated: April 5, 2007 04:42 PM EDT






GRAND RAPIDS -- FBI and IRS officials served a search warrant Thursday morning at an office inside Bridgewater Place in Grand Rapids.

24 Hour News 8 received a tip that a raid was in progress at a security firm called Redline 22 LLC. People on the scene told us about 30 federal authorities have been seen scouring the building. We saw evidence being labeled and boxes taken out of the building.

Details were initially slow to come in, but 24 Hour News 8 made phone calls and pulled court documents. We traced the owner of the company to Michael Vorce, a man who has a long paper trail.

We spoke with Kline Kauramaki who has done marketing work for Vorce. Kauramaki says he has never had trouble with Redline 22 LLC, but Wednesday filed a legal complaint against another of Vorce's companies. Kauramaki claims Vorce owes him tens of thousands of dollars.

"He'd paid us before, I think things just tipped over. The house of cards tipped...fell...and now it's trying to piece what's happened," Kauramaki, the president of Marketing Tools, Inc., told us.

Stay tuned for a complete background check on Vorce, a man who 24 Hour News 8 has been investigating.

Wow i live in GR and didn't here about this

Interesting, is Wharf still a stand up place to do business with?

I don't think Vorce had anything to do with the Wharf.

The Wharf is alive and well, and is a stand up palce to do business. Mike and his family ran the business last year, they have Nothing to do with it this year.

Wow, I bet a bunch of you west Michigan guys know him. I wonder what the story behind the story is.

Why has the Wharf had so many different people running it the last few years?

The Wharf's business part get's leased to people from time to time one of my customers own's the property, buildings and equipment. Mike was leasing it last season, it's the home of most of west michigans fastest offshore hot rods. It's in good hands for this season, and it should be a great summer.

I saw the report on the news the other night....reeks of tax evasion dont you think.... The Warf really looked great last year someone spent alot of time and effert to make the place look great,so is it under the same management as last season? I dont know the players around there the only place that dosent change management like underwear is Great Lakes. I thinking about in/out this season but will more than likely end up in Muskegon.

No. The Wharf has new management. Should be better than ever with all of the improvements + new GM.

Bill are you going back to GLakes or the Warf????

Great Lakes but I was at The Wharf last weekend and I agree with you, it looks great. Huge improvement from when I kept my old boat there and a lot of really nice hardware there too.

Well after all the phone calls I am getting about this and all the info on the news about the FBI and IRS coming down on Mike Vorce

I thought i better clear something up since my reputation is at issue here and many people thought i still worked at The Wharf

I saw this coming a while ago and was waiting for Mike Vorce to fall of his throne

I was GM at The Wharf last year and oversaw all the upgrades and improvements as well as runnning the day to day. Then on laborday weekend after much praise about how great a job I had been doing I was asked by Mike Vorce to resign with no real explanation as to why


It turns out i had been asking to many questions about his financial dealings relative to the business i was charged to run for him

The man did me a favor as his suspicious financial activities were far reaching beyond our small operation

He did not live up to his financial commitments to me and i got screwed out of a chunk of money as well
all be it much less that the millions he owes the banks

The Wharf itself is a great place to have a boat and the original owner of the facility has taken it back over and put some folks in charge that should see it through a smooth operation

Mike Vorce was only a lessee of the facility but according to the news last night he defaulted on taxes and monthly payments on the marina this winter (No surprise here)

I am sure the Wharf will still be one of the best places to hang your boating hat for the summer

I am glad i saw this early as had it all gone down on my watch i would have got sucked in by association

Some times what goes around really does come around

All the local news is covering this so for you guys that want to catch up from outstate

google
wzzm channel 13 in Grand Rapids michigan
fox news Grand Rapids Michigan
Wood tv channel 8 Grand Rapids Michigan


Title is "Feds Search Bridgwater Place" the reports are on video on each news agency web sit


Best of luck to the new managment I will be spending some great weekends at The Wharf this sumer enjoying boating instead of putting in over 90 hours a week working there

It does appear that some decent people in the West Michigan boating community narrowly dodged a major bullet in the past year. Thank God for all of those involved that didn't get burned any worse than what they already did.

Good thing you saw the writting on the wall Mark!!!

Bought my boat from Great Lakes. Nice place

Many suppliers took a hit including the employees of the Wharf that havent been paid for weeks. Im sitting on two bounced checks that will probably never be recovered from Barrett Holdings ironically for head work for the new owner. The work I did was supposidly a trade for back rent. As for the integrity of the new owner (in reality the property owner) Im sure he knew months before Vorce was in trouble, something didn't seem right when he sent someone to pick up his third and last set of heads bright and early before the mail man came with the bounce notice.

Im sure John will take care of people that he has to take care of. When I talked to him on the phone he said call back in May:mad: as always my opinion

i don't know mike personaly but i do know some people that have or are doing business with him. marc (boatme) jim valco(jimv) and a few others. my best to all. but i think this thing is just getting started and is going to be bigger then we think. just my 2 cents. its to bad for all. and i must say the wharf is looking great, we were there 2 weekends ago. we rent a slip there once or twice a year for the weekend for the past 5 years. i always liked that place close to the lake and close to town.

I heard the new General Manager of the Wharf has a really slow, slug of a boat. Just what I heard.

Sorry Jim but this isn't true. None of us had any idea until a week ago and by that time nothing could be done. Many people lost a lot more than you but everyone that lost anything should be mad and frustrated at Mike, not anyone else. NK

Ouch! Nykamp talking again? NK

Ain't nothing like a good secret, right Slug!! :D :drink: :D

Maybe we can get some new stickers for her -----

RHC

Hope no one got bit to bad up there. Weeks ago when I heard Macatawa Bank in Holland revised its earnings report by half ( 5+ million loss) I figured it was home builders and forclosures... small bank to take a hit like that but then read in todays news that cases were brought against Vorce back in 02 by FifthThird Bank and National City in 03. The cases were settled but hey...heads up! Now they can't find him.

Many, many people got hit, but life goes on. 2007 will be a great year for the Wharf, Parnel and CJ will see to that, and if you need service Ben will see to that, and if you want your boat to shine like never before come see me @ The Wharf.

it's great to know ben will still be there.
todd

The feds talk to him everyday. They know right were he is. NK

Thats for sure ! Thanks to you Bud .... and Parn and some others up there for helpin keep the facts straight and the crap to a minimum ! I really appreciate it !!! :cool:

Thanks Steve and your right we have a great team at the Wharf!! We all think the same and have a huge passion for the industry which is going to make this year one of the best in a long time!!:drink:


CJ

I was told that the work on Jon's boat was to cover back rent, 47K was the number I heard. Im sure thats more than a weeks rent. Just the fact there was a deal like that should throw a flag. The first check that I got back(March 19 deposit) was stamped Account Restricted, my guess that like the cockroach hotel, money goes in but it dosen't go out, court order from the bank to recoupe funds maybe?

I'm not sure why you would respond to a problem I have with Jon's ethics, this really doesn't involve you. But since you drew first blood, I talked to a potiental employee of yours that stated you told him everything was on hold because my partner may be in financal trouble. That was well over a week ago.

Wheather it's twenty dollars or 20 thousand dollars it doesn't make any difference its money gone. I feel bad for everyone else that got hit. I don't this deserves to be swept under the carpet or sugar coated.

Turns out my potential partner was in financial trouble. Significantly more than I thought and for much longer than I thought. I happen to be privey to the details and I simply informed you that there was only one person who was fraudulant. You publicly infered there was more. I corrected you. It should be and is out in the open but don't blame anyone else except the person that did this. No sugar coating is going on but falsely blaming others is not right either. NK

this sucks. i'm reading it in the paper and seeing it on the local new's. friends getting hurt first hand from all of this.
my best to all.
todd
http://www.mlive.com/grpress/frontpa.../A1_Sunday.pdf

ps: and yes that is wickedwon. one of the baddist around.

i'm confused as to why saber would be shut down as a result of this? parnell?

http://www.mlive.com/news/grpress/in...l=6&thispage=1
the whole 5 page article

??????????

there is a 2nd story in todays press about saber marine. acording to the press they took wickedwon in on trade. turned it over to mike v. to broker i think and never got paid. big ticket boat big lose. its realy sad the saber boys are the niceist guys you could meet.

todd

heres a link
http://www.mlive.com/news/grpress/in...910.xml&coll=6

if they just brokered it would'nt they still have title and legal ownership of w.w.?

This article was an unfortunate bit of speculation and is not entirely true. Saber is not "shut down" and is not involved in this other than as a creditor of this individual and his actions. He purchased WW and did not finish paying for it. It's now a matter for the courts and life goes on. Saber is one of many people affected by the actions of this individual. NK

thats great news parnell. you and doug will make it happen. best of luck and see you soon.
todd

good to hear the truth, best of luck in getting things worked out. From the way I'm reading it, if the deal wasn't totally done on WW, then it is still owned by the seller. I hope thats the case, I would hate to see that boat wind up just sitting in litigation.

Over the years I've seen these "high rollers" come and go. They always screw the good guys and exit quickly. It's a shame to say the least!

That could be one hellova court battle. The article said saber took it in on trade then sold it to Vorce to re-sell. It said saber only received a small down payment. So one would think it would be sabers boat, but... it also said that he forged the title as a 2003 in his name. He then took a loan against it.

So... I would think the bank will tell saber to get lost since the bank is a lein holder on the title. Even though the title was forged the bank would tell them to take it up with the state since they didnt catch the false title.

Sounds like the same thing happened with the Hi-Lite. I hope it wasnt steve leasing it to him.

What a mess! I feel for all involved. I am surprised he can still walk.