[m01brandon]

In an email to his mailing list, Harry Levy of Hank Lee’s Magic Factory acknowledged the United States Department of Justice’s charges against him and apologized to his customers.

A Special Message From Hank Lee:

Greetings from me, Hank Lee.

I suspect that by now you have read the reports of the government’s charges against me. I have agreed to plead guilty to these charges. Although the charges allege misuse of a customer’s credit card, I am writing to assure you that Hank Lee’s Magic Factory has since adopted procedures to insure the safety and privacy of our customers’ information.

I was wrong in every way, and now I will face the consequences. I could not possibly be more sorry for my behavior.

My actions have deeply impacted my family. And, I know that they have impacted you, our customers and friends. While we have tried to build a base of trust over the last 37 years, it has been seriously damaged, and must now be rebuilt.

If there is a brighter side, Hank Lee’s Magic Factory is not just about me. It is about our long time employees who are here every day and could not be more honest, forthright and knowledgeable. These people can be trusted, 100%. They have been with Hank Lee’s for more than 20 years each and have impeccable records, both in life and in the workplace.

In the past day, I have received many emails and notes. Most are from people hoping that the present situation resolves itself quickly and wishing me the best in this difficult time. Some are from people who do not exactly wish me well. This is to be expected. I appreciate all correspondence.

This is what I can tell you right now. Hank Lee’s Magic Factory is not in danger of closing. We will continue to accept your orders, process them and ship them as always. I hope that you will continue to place orders with the Magic Factory, and allow me to rebuild your trust in us.

Hank

The government charged Levy with making $561,927 in unauthorized charges to an American Express card from July 2009 to May 2011.