Missed payments, sketchy accounting and creating fake companies to hide funds.
Those are among the accusations Westfield developer Andy Card faced in various business disputes years before federal agents knocked on his door alleging that he diverted $2.2 million from a Mishawaka public project to buy a waterfront home in Florida.
In at least two civil cases, plaintiffs alleged fraud, which Card has denied. Judgments were entered against Card in both cases. And in both cases, he was sued again when he didn’t pay up. In another case, he prevailed in court, but now faces an appeal.
Card has not been charged with any crime in connection to those cases. Nor has he been charged in connection with the ongoing FBI investigation, although the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Indiana is seeking to seize his $6.6 million Florida home, alleging it was obtained through fraud.
In a statement sent through a spokesperson, Card characterized lawsuits brought by a former business partner, Lauth Construction, and a former employee, Larry R. Vogel, as a downside of his profession.
“An unfortunate aspect of being an innovative developer is defending yourself against lawsuits such as the ones filed by Lauth and Mr. Vogel,” Robert Vane, a spokesperson for Card, said. “Mr. Card prevailed in both actions, including a bench trial victory against Lauth and a case dismissal — with prejudice — regarding Vogel.”
Here’s a look at some of the legal cases Card has faced in the past.
Accusations of alter egos, nonpayment and personal expenses
Before Card was a real estate developer, he was in the trucking business and operated several companies with variations of the same name.
Those companies – Perkins Global Logistics LLC, Perkins Global Transportation LLC, Perkins Trailer Repair LLC and Huntingburg Trailer Repair – were joined with Card as defendants in a 2015 lawsuit brought by the Houston office of Altus Oil & Gas Services, a Singapore-based company.
Court records show that Card owed Altus a roughly $42,500 judgment the company won against him in a prior lawsuit for nonpayment of services. But, collecting that judgment proved difficult.
Altus asked the court to pierce the corporate veil.
The company claimed that Card tried to avoid paying the judgment by dissolving companies that were defendants in the original lawsuit, then creating “alter egos” of those companies and transferring assets to them.
As such, Altus wanted the new entities to be held liable for the debt as well.
Attorneys for the oil and gas services company said accounting reports revealed that Card commingled funds between entities, cashed checks written for one entity in another’s bank account and used one entity’s funds to pay another’s payroll. They shared addresses and phone numbers. Card also used the companies to pay for his personal vehicle expenses, country club membership and credit card expenses from his family’s vacation, Altus claimed.
In court filings, Card called the lawsuit frivolous.
He claimed the several initial defendants had been dissolved for legitimate business purposes. They were part of a write-down process involving their largest secured creditor, The National Bank of Indianapolis, to which he said the companies owed more than $8 million when they were dissolved.
He also denied that the new companies were alter egos of the older companies. Each had its own ownership structure and operated under separate business models, Card said in court filings.
He said the travel expenses were properly accounted for in the company’s books, as were vehicle expenses. Hawthorns Golf and Country Club membership dues were legitimate business expenses since the location was used to host networking events.
The dispute remained active in Hamilton County Superior Court for about seven years with each side trading filings back and forth. Then one day in 2022, Altus’ local attorney told the court the law firm was withdrawing from the case.
Communication with their oil and gas client had broken down, they said. Months later, the case was dismissed without ever having been argued in court.
Altus’ Fishers attorney Samuel Hughes of Church Church Hittle + Antrim did not respond to interview requests.
Former employee claims Card commingled funds
Larry R. Vogel is a former employee of Perkins Logistics LLC, a trucking company Card owned before shifting his focus to developing youth sports complexes.
According to a complaint, Vogel, who could not be reached for comment, entered into an employment agreement with Card in 2008. According to a copy of the contract, Vogel was to be paid $115,000 a year and receive a fuel card. He would receive a 10% incentive bonus.
But after Vogel left the job, he accused Card of not honoring the employment agreement after the businessman did not pay him for work he performed.
He sued Perkins Logistics in 2012, citing breach of contract and unjust enrichment. In his response, Card accused Vogel of violating a non-compete agreement by soliciting Perkins’ drivers and encouraging them to work with him. He also accused Vogel of removing confidential information from the company without authorization and interfering with business relationships. Vogel denied the claims.
That lawsuit would make its way through a Hamilton County court for more than five years before Vogel prevailed, securing a $50,000 judgment against his employer.
As he was attempting to collect the judgment, Vogel filed another lawsuit against Card, Perkins Logistics and three other companies, Perkins Global Logistics, Perkins Global Transportation and Huntingburg Trailer Repair.
Vogel, also represented by attorneys at Church Church Hittle + Antrim, accused Card of creating alter ego companies and of fraudulently transferring assets among the other entities to avoid paying the judgment.
Vogel accused Card of not maintaining sufficient records; commingling funds to pay his personal debts and using the companies to pay each other’s expenses; and of using the business structure to promote fraud, injustice, and illegal activities. The companies had similar addresses, names and phone numbers.
In 2019, Vogel asked the court to suspend pending deadlines so both sides could work toward a resolution. Months later, with the COVID-19 pandemic in full swing, both sides jointly asked for the case to be dismissed with prejudice. The reason was not recorded in the case file.
Pendleton project leads to dispute with construction company
More recently, in 2020, a construction partner sued Card.
That partner, Carmel-based Lauth Construction LLC, had previously joined Card as the general contractor on the Precision Fieldhouse at Finch Creek in Noblesville and the Pacers Athletic Center in Westfield. But it was a project in Pendleton, Indiana, that soured relations between the two.
That dispute centered on Community Sports and Wellness, a gym and physical fitness center for Community Hospital. Card’s company, Madison County Tennis & Wellness, entered a contract with Lauth to design and build the facility, but stopped paying the company in 2020, missing five payments totaling $1.55 million.
Lauth claims it suspended its work for nonpayment. Card’s company declared Lauth defaulted on its contract and demanded that work resume within 10 days.
In court filings, Lauth said Card wanted the construction company to sign off on a guaranteed maximum price to close on the project’s bank loan. But it did not want to because the details of the project were not finalized.
During the bench trial, testimony revealed that Card was a close friend of Lauth’s former CEO Michael Jones. The two maintained an informal relationship and communicated often as business partners.
Card told the court that due to their friendship, Jones and Card discussed business verbally and hardly ever sent formal notices between the businesses. Late payments were never an issue on their prior construction projects.
After considering the testimony, a Madison County judge ruled in favor of Card and Madison County Tennis & Wellness, LLC. The judge said an amended contract between Card’s company and Lauth made it clear that they had agreed to a maximum price. A $1.1 million judgment was entered in favor of Madison County Tennis & Wellness.
But, the case is not over ― at least not yet. On July 15, 2026, days before federal agents raided Card’s home and business, Lauth’s attorneys filed an appeal with the Indiana Court of Appeals.
An attorney for Lauth declined to comment on behalf of the company, citing the ongoing litigation.
Contact IndyStar investigative reporter Alexandria Burris at aburris@indystar..com. Follow her on X, formerly Twitter, at @allyburris.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: A trail of business disputes preceded FBI raid on developer Andy Card
Reporting by Alexandria Burris, Indianapolis Star / Indianapolis Star
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Alexandria Burris, Indianapolis Star | USA TODAY Network
