GREEN BAY, Wisconsin (From The Press Gazette) -- Federal prosecutors have expanded their case against a De Pere businessman accused of using straw borrowers to defraud financial institutions.

In late September, prosecutors filed six new charges against Green Box founder Ron Van Den Heuvel accusing him of having an employee make false statements to secure loans from three different banks and credit unions in northeastern Wisconsin in the summer of 2013.

The revised complaint said Van Den Heuvel had an office assistant making $12-per-hour inflate his annual income and claim he was a sales director with one of Van Den Heuvel's companies in order to secure four loans ranging from $25,000 to $60,000 from Community First Credit Union, Nicolet National Bank and Pioneer Credit Union in 2013. The complaint also alleges the straw borrower offered two vehicles as loan collateral that were owned by Van Den Heuvel-controlled companies.

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The charges are similar to those federal authorities filed against Van Den Heuvel, his wife Kelly and an Appleton banker, Paul Piikkila, in spring.

Federal prosecutors allege Piikkila, a Horicon Bank loan officer, used his position to fraudulently provide more than $1 million in loans to the Van Den Heuvels under the names of Ron Van Den Heuvel's employees and a former relative between Jan. 17, 2008, and Sept. 25, 2009. Piikkila and Van Den Heuvel turned to using straw borrowers after Horicon Bank management refused to lend money to Van Den Heuvel after a credit review.

Court documents state the employees and relatives who served as straw borrowers who did not receive the money and were not expected to repay it.

The Van Den Heuvels have pleaded not guilty to the charges against them. A status conference is scheduled in federal court on Nov. 16.

Piikkila pleaded guilty in July, but sentencing has been postponed indefinitely due to the new charges against Ron Van Den Heuvel.

Van Den Heuvel denies any wrongdoing.

"In the end, I will prevail. I didn't do anything illegal," he said. "We'll get to the bottom of this. I don't know who's after me for a witch hunt. We'll figure out who it is."

He said all of the people identified by investigators as straw borrowers were, in fact, business partners who were entitled to seek financing for the shared businesses. He also said giving collateral (the vehicles) to a business partner is not illegal.

"Every one has signed on as a business partner," Van Den Heuvel said. "They've signed agreements where he may be called upon to borrow money for the company ... every single straw borrower they have listed has been a partner of mine in a business and still is. Every one."

At least five agencies are investigating Van Den Heuvel over claims he defrauded investors -- including the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. -- through a series of companies that he claimed would be able to convert food-contaminated paper and other difficult to recycle waste into new products and energy in a process that created no pollution.

Van Den Heuvel's primary company, Green Box NA, filed for federal bankruptcy protection in April. According to court documents, the company had less than $50,000 in assets and more than $10 million in debt.