Focus shifts to wife of Charlotte businessman year after suicide

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Investigators said hundreds of people were victimized in a Ponzi scheme orchestrated by prominent Charlotte businessman Rick Siskey, and more than a year after his death, those investigators are now focusing on his wife.

[READ MORE: Siskey new complaint]

Channel 9 anchor Blaine Tolison was at a hearing Monday morning when the question of how much money from Siskey’s life insurance payout should be given to those investors was raised. An attorney for the victims told a federal judge in uptown that he would like to question Siskey's wife, Diane, under oath to find out.

Past coverage:

• Lawsuit: Wife of Charlotte Ponzi scheme organizer helped to hide millions
• Charlotte businessman's estate auctioned to repay Ponzi scheme victims
• Fancy cars, jewelry, rare items up for auction at Siskey estate
• FBI: Charlotte businessman found dead was running Ponzi scheme
• Prominent Charlotte businessman under investigation found dead inside home

Rick Siskey faced a list of fraud allegations, and in 2016, when the government wanted to seize his property because it was alleged to have been purchased with fraudulent money, he committed suicide.

On Monday, attorneys for those who lost money in Siskey's ventures argued in court that his life insurance was paid for with some, if not all, of those Ponzi scheme funds. They claimed Diane Siskey received $50 million in benefits, but that she's only paid about $15 million to victims.

An auction last year generated $2 million dollars for victims to recoup.

Channel 9 was there as hundreds of Siskey’s belongings, including expensive cars and a wine collection, were auctioned off.

Siskey’s Sharon Road estate was also sold for less than its $5.5 million list price.

A federal judge continued a motion Monday that would have ordered Diane Siskey to answer questions under oath and gave her, her attorneys, and the trustee six weeks to come up with a final amount.

"I fully expect that number to go up,” said attorney Chuck Monnett. “That was only an interim distribution, but it does put a real-time deadline for them to get something accomplished."

Diane Siskey's attorney called it a fishing expedition and unnecessary because Siskey is fully cooperating. If the six-week deadline is not met, though, the judge could reconsider the motion.

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