By TED BRIDIS,
Associated Press writer
WASHINGTON — AOL is preparing to dig for buried gold and platinum on property in Massachusetts owned by the parents of a man it sued for sending millions of unwanted spam e-mails to its customers.
AOL won a $12.8 million judgment last year in U.S. District Court in Virginia against Davis Wolfgang Hawke but has been unable to contact Hawke to collect any of the money he was ordered to pay in the lawsuit. The company said yesterday it intends to search for gold and platinum bars the company believes are hidden near his parent's home in Medfield, Mass.
"This exercise isn't something out of ... 'Treasure Island.' This is a court-directed, judge-approved legal process that is simply aimed at responsibly recovering hidden assets," AOL spokesman Nicholas Graham said.
Hawke's parents did not return several telephone messages left at their home by The Associated Press.
To win a judge's permission for the search, AOL submitted receipts reflecting large purchases by Hawke of gold and platinum bars, Graham said. The company indicated it believes Hawke buried the loot on his parents' property using a shovel.
AOL said it will try to accommodate Hawke's parents by not being too obtrusive.
A former U.S. prosecutor described AOL's efforts as highly unusual. Marc Zwillinger said his law firm has seized plasma televisions, jet skis and other gadgets in unrelated spam and piracy lawsuits.
"But I've never had a case digging up gold bars and bullion," Zwillinger said. "That's definitely unique."
Posted by: NFAfan
I'm sure this will cost them (AOL) far more to undertake this stupid expedition than they could ever hope to find.
AOL is making out just on the publicity of this case....FREE ADVERTIZING with every news broadcast. They have already recouped more than they could hope to find on this kids parents land.
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