A Fort Atkinson home improvement contractor and his wife have been sentenced to prison for their roles in a massive wire fraud and money laundering scheme that targeted over 100 vulnerable victims in Wisconsin.
According to court documents, Tyler Hansen, 52, was sentenced to 7 years in federal prison for wire fraud and money laundering. His wife, Jennifer Hansen, 43, was sentenced to 33 months in prison for money laundering. The Hansens pleaded guilty to these charges on October 4, 2023.
The scheme, which ran from October 2020 to September 2022, involved Hansen operating multiple home improvement businesses in Dane and Jefferson counties. He would enter into contracts with customers for various projects, including windows, sunrooms, bathrooms, roofs, and doors, but never intended to complete the work.
Instead, Hansen would require customers to pay 50% of the total contract price as a down payment, which he would then use for personal expenses. The couple ultimately stole over $800,000 from their victims.
The Hansens also engaged in money laundering, using multiple financial transactions to conceal and disguise the true nature of the funds in their bank accounts. They would deposit down payment checks into multiple business bank accounts and then transfer the funds to personal accounts.
At the sentencing hearing, Judge William M. Conley called the Hansens’ actions “horrific” and explained that while both defendants lied to their victims, Tyler Hansen deserved a longer sentence because he was the driving force behind the scheme and had a prior criminal history.
As part of the sentence, the judge scheduled a hearing for March 15, 2024, at 1:00 pm to determine the appropriate amount of restitution owed to the victims in the case.
The charges against the Hansens were the result of an investigation led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Internal Revenue Service, the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection, the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office, and the Walworth County Sheriff’s Office, with the assistance of law enforcement officers and district attorneys’ offices in multiple counties across Wisconsin.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron Wegner handled the prosecution.
Mandatory Facts:
Defendant: Tyler Hansen, 52, Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin
Criminal Charges: Wire fraud and money laundering
City and State: Madison, Wisconsin
Exact Date: October 4, 2023 (plea), January 2024 (sentencing)
Sentence: 7 years in federal prison
Dollar Amount: Over $800,000
Related Federal Cases
- David O. Braeger, Wire Fraud, Bank Fraud, Mail Fraud, Engaging in Unlawful Monetary Transactions, Wisconsin 2021 · Wisconsin
- Jennifer Goss, Wire Fraud, Wisconsin 2024 · Alabama
- Van Engel, Wire Fraud, Wisconsin 1991 · Wisconsin
- De Hernandez, Wire Fraud, Wisconsin 2005 · Wisconsin
- Andrade Herrera, Wire Fraud, Wisconsin 2025 · Wisconsin
Key Facts
- State: Wisconsin
- Category: White Collar Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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