https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/rdacalos/upstart-the-bo...
Looks like $35k. No one would risk destroying their reputation over that small sum. I wonder what the other side of the story is?
Abuse is pretty common in gamedev, but this would be flagrant.
People have killed for far less...If they were in a bad enough financial position, they could have thought that they would borrow their client's money to pay immediate bills, and pay the account back with future client earnings. It happens quite frequently in the legal world--it's the number one reason lawyers get disbarred in CA after drug use.
If the other partners were not aware this was occurring until now, that might be a more benevolent explanation of why the agency has gone dark.
People risk a lifetime in jail over $35k, on a regular basis.
You really underestimate how bad some people's finances are right now in places like Michigan.