Dane Cook's Brother Steals Millions From Him: Prosecutors

WOBURN, Mass. — The half brother of comedian Dane Cook has pleaded not guilty to embezzling millions from the comedian and was ordered held on $3 million bail.

Darryl McCauley was arraigned Wednesday at Woburn District Court on charges including forgery and larceny. Prosecutors alleged that McCauley, 43, stole the money from Cook while being paid $12,500 a month to act as business manager for Great Dane Enterprises, Inc.

Judge Joseph Jennings ordered McCauley to document the source of any funds used to meet his bail.

Cook's attorney, Joseph Zwicker, described Cook as "very distraught" about the situation. McCauley's attorney, Robert Goldstein, said his client is innocent.

"Mr. McCauley denies taking money from his brother without his consent," he said. "He's ready to confront these allegations."

Prosecutors accused McCauley of transferring funds from Cook's business accounts to his personal accounts between July 2007 and December 2008. In one instance, McCauley forged a $3 million check written from Cook's account to himself, investigators said.

McCauley allegedly used the money to buy four cars, and to take a seven-day trip across the country, during which he rented various cars. Prosecutors say investigators raided a Maine home McCauley owned and found $800,000 in cash in a safe.

Assistant Attorney General Rick Grundy also said McCauley talked about opening a restaurant in Ireland. Grundy said investigators have yet to find much of the allegedly stolen money.

McCauley worked with Cook during much of the comedian's early career, selling merchandise at Cook's shows and managing his Web site. Grundy said McCauley worked as an officer with the state Department of Correction before quitting to work for Cook full time.

"Mr. McCauley has been critical to Mr. Cook's success," Goldstein said.

Cook, 36, suspected his brother was stealing from him for some time, prosecutors said. He recently hired a new business manager in California and had been pressuring McCauley to hand over documents. Assistant Attorney General Rick Grundy said investigators were recently tipped off to the scheme by Cook's attorney.

Cook's comedy album, "Retaliation," went double platinum. He has recently appeared in several films, including "My Best Friend's Girl" with Kate Hudson.

Comments

[Baggaratz]

Re the strangely worded headline, and apologies if this has already been posted, but the words "thief" and "thieves" are nouns, not verbs.

[Baggaratz]

Oh, I see that "Thieves" was used in the teaser on the main page, but not on this article.

[rr52]

Not unusual. You know how many siblings steal from each other after the death of a parent? My sister robbed me of my entire inheritance. I didn't know she didn't like me--had no idea. After that, I heard all kinds of stories from people I know about siblings robbing each other in all kinds of ways, even robbing their parents. Think it'll never happen to you? Guess again.

[StephenJK]

Yes apparently blood ISN'T thicker than water in this day and age. Only money matters. It's a shame and has taught me that you just can't trust anyone but yourself. Sometimes, even that is hard for me.

[RODERICK098]

My sister too had my father change the will >She got a million I got $15,000 I reiterate are not familes wonderful. When they speak of Family Values I say Thanks but no thanks.

[normalkid0615]

I like Dane Cook. I am in college!

[RODERICK098]

You like anything because it takes you away from your studies.

[SteveDenver]

Wow, there's some harsh crap here.
I don't pay much attention to Dane Cook, but if his stepbro was stealing ($3 mil bond?!), he deserves the full weight of the law. Good luck to Cook getting back what he can.

[dekkerink]

Dane cook has millions? Really?

[DawnK]

Funny, that's the first thought that popped into my mind. He kind of is not funny but I guess if Paris Hilton can make money for showing up at a party....

[bbobby]

I actually like Dane Cook about a million times more as an actor than as a "comedian". He was pretty good on SNL performing other people's lines. It's too bad that he can't write his own material, instead of taking it from other comedians and then doing it in a substandard way. He was pretty good in "Waiting" and in "Dan in Real Life", but I don't think I've ever laughed at his comic routines.

It still sucks, though, that his own brother may have stolen from him. While it may be karmic justice, in real life, it sucks.

[LoRiseAntlers]

He had millions from stealing other people's jokes and making crap movies that nobody goes too?

WTF???

[phlashba]

He's still a massive TOOL.

[YouDisgustMe]

agreed

[ALMjr]

Who cares!

[brendanm]

This is probably the funniest thing Dane Cook has ever been involved in...

[SeanONe]

It's put a smile on my face. Ahhh it couldn't happen to a more talentless piece of crap,

[anghiari]

So it works if wish that someone in your family rips you off...

[Clare53]

Headline on entertainment page:

"Dane Cook's Brother Thieves Millions From Him'

Jeez, HP, got grammar?

[AZ4thatone]

Whether your a fan of Cook's or not, he was paying his step bro $12,500.00 monthly to work for him. That is not a small paycheck by my standards. If his step bro was an employee skimming money then he was embezzeling money from him which is a crime. No one deserves to be victimized,... not even Dane Cook.

[DatelessNerd]

If crappy comedy was a crime, Dane Cook would be on death row.

[anghiari]

Why beat Dane Cook, because you don't like his comedy....ever thought of not watching him.. Duh!

[nomorecomics4me]

My two cents: When a comic starts to realize the money train might be coming to the end of the track, s/he starts getting paranoid and desperate. They see ticket sales diminishing and doors closing in around them and the first thing they do is look to the people responsible for their career and blame them. "Those people must be fired or not be doing their job or ripping them them off," etc. It's never because they are a flash in the pan or that they had incredible management in the first place or that they failed to fulfill expectations in high profile situations, over and over and over.

I was accused of stealing money from a comic while the comic refused to pay me the money I was owed. It took attorneys 2 1/2 years and six figure attorney's fees to determine the "truth."

But, clearly, I'm over it, hence my screen name :)

I sold merch at my comic's first shows and designed the website, too. You did all that for free, or for very little, didn't you? Hang in there, Darryl. This is going to be tough. That public persona of his that everyone loves that you helped him develop is all going to be used against you. He's worth money to the press so you're not going to get a fair shake there either.

[Clare53]

Clearly you're not over it.

[Big0725]

Fu*king please. Equating what this guy did and what you supposedly went through is insipid. Dane Cook's half-brother should have the book thrown at him.

And if you need to vent about what someone did to you, do it somewhere else please.

[anghiari]

For my money...Gov B...said what he said....and Dane Cook's brother did what he did...it will be proven in court or NOT...but I love all of these idiots who don't have a pot to ....in...talking about somebody else's money!

[growthefup]

Hang in there? He had 800,000 hidden in cash in his vacation home. Your lame story has nothing to do with it so why bring it up? For the rest of you, when you grow up you will realize that putting down others and what they like just make you look small minded and mean. Grow up.

[RODERICK098]

I am sorry about the theft-aren't families wonderful?????However I did not know who this guy was until I watched his HBO special and I did not laugh once and the huge crowd roared at his inane and commonplace observations. I do not get his appeal. Is this more dumbing down of the American public . There were too many in the crowd for them to be paid to laugh.

[Big0725]

The masses are asses and the right-wingers have done a-plenty in keeping this couintry dumb and scared. May the new sheriff can make being intelligent actually cool again.