Cachengo, Inc. alleges that millions of dollars in company funds were spent on personal expenses unrelated to business operations, forming the financial backbone of its federal lawsuit against former CEO Ash Young, his wife Janae Young, and their daughter Aurora Beaulieu.
This is Part Three of a multi-part series examining the lawsuit. While Part Two focused on real estate and vehicles, this installment examines alleged personal spending and employee accounts from the period when payroll went unpaid.
Click here to read part one’s overview of Cachengo’s federal lawsuit against former CEO Ash Young and others.
Click here to read part two.
Following the Money
According to the verified complaint filed in federal court, Cachengo estimates that nearly $12 million in questionable spending occurred between 2023 and 2025 alone. An internal whistleblower investigation obtained by the Carroll County Observer alleges that some of that spending took place while employees were missing paychecks, with company funds allegedly used for vacations, expensive restaurant meals, luxury purchases, and other personal expenses during periods when the company reported having little or no operating cash.
“We were told the reason we weren’t getting paid was because they were waiting on a big deal to come through,” said one former employee, speaking of events that took place in September 2025. “They said the person funding it had suffered a massive heart attack, and they were trying to work with his family to make the deal happen.”
According to the former employee, Ash Young had framed the missed payroll as a sacrifice in order to help the investor’s family through their difficult time.
“He told us he knew he was sacrificing all of us and our time, but that it was for the greater good,” the employee said. “We were basically told to hang on.”
Skepticism grew as payroll delays became more frequent and messaging from leadership continued to shift.
“I knew in the back of my head this wasn’t the first time people had gone a long period without getting paid,” the employee said. “Something just didn’t add up.”
According to multiple sources, most employees received their last paycheck from the company on September 17, 2025.
Whistleblower Investigation and Lawsuit Allegations
In early December, the Carroll County Observer received an internal report prepared by a source inside Cachengo detailing various allegations against Ash Young and his family. While not all of the allegations outlined in the report appear in the federal lawsuit, many of them overlap.
The investigation summary alleges that during 2024 and 2025, total credit card payments exceeded $1.1 million.
The lawsuit separately alleges at least $1.5 million in improper expenditures in 2023, approximately $4.5 million in 2024, and roughly $5.7 million between January and September 2025. Cachengo claims those figures are conservative and based on transactions that could be identified and traced.
The investigation summary alleges that several high-dollar personal charges were made during weeks when payroll was missed on October 3, October 17, October 31, and November 15. It also claims that Cachengo missed payroll on 10 occasions in the last 12 months.
Spending
According to the investigation summary, Cachengo’s bank account carried a negative balance during portions of that period, while members of the Young family allegedly traveled and charged expenses to company credit cards.
The internal investigation document lists several examples of spending that allegedly occurred during that timeframe, including multiple restaurant charges exceeding $1,000 each, a $4,000 charge at Dillard’s, a $1,400 purchase at a jewelry store in Orlando, an $8,000 charge at a boot store in Nashville, a $12,000 charge at a horse farm in Kentucky, and a $1,500 purchase at a firearm retailer in Nashville.
Expenditures detailed in the lawsuit appear to coincide with the investigation, naming purchases at luxury retailers and vendors that Cachengo claims had no business purpose.
The lawsuit complaint cites a $60,174 purchase at a luxury watch retailer and more than $16,000 for two mattresses delivered to Young’s personal residence. Both of these charges are specifically named in the investigation report, as well.
“On July 23, 2024, Mr. Young spent $60,174.00 at Jaztime, a luxury watch retailer. The transaction was coded as “wages” in Cachengo’s system. No invoice or receipt was provided, but, upon information and belief, Ms. Beaulieu approved the expense and executed payment,” the lawsuit says.
Cachengo also alleges in the lawsuit that company funds were used to cover routine personal expenses, including travel, furnishings, and household items, many of which were charged directly to company accounts or paid through company-controlled entities.
Travel
The lawsuit alleges that approximately $347,000 in company funds was spent on timeshares between 2021 and 2025.
The lawsuit reads: “Over the years, Mr. Young has spent large amounts of money on timeshares for his and his family’s personal use: $35,964.91 for timeshares in 2025 (so far); $89,270.37 for timeshares in 2024; $71,137.51 for timeshares in 2023; $74,599.61 for timeshares in 2022; and $76,106.34 in 2021. In all, these expenses total at least $347,000. Upon information and belief, these expenses were also approved and paid by his daughter, Ms. Beaulieu.”
Those timeshares were allegedly located in Hawaii, Myrtle Beach, and Las Vegas. Cachengo claims the purchases were personal in nature and provided no benefit to the company.
The complaint states that these expenditures were often recorded without receipts or supporting documentation and were not disclosed to shareholders or board members.
According to the investigation summary, $2 million out of $4.5 million in real estate related expenses went toward mortgage payments, utilities, repairs, and timeshare payments.
Hobby Farm Spending
In addition to luxury purchases and travel, the lawsuit alleges that Cachengo funds and employees were used for years to operate what it describes as Ash Young’s personal hobby farm at 9575 Highway 22 South in Huntingdon.
According to the complaint, the property “is a Cachengo property that Mr. Young has used as his personal residence,” and company resources were repeatedly directed toward farm operations unrelated to business needs.
The lawsuit alleges that Young “repeatedly utilized Cachengo funds to purchase and maintain livestock” at the property over multiple years.
The complaint breaks down those expenses year by year, stating that livestock and related costs totaled $55,863.91 in 2025, $38,104.89 in 2024, $31,984.80 in 2023, $25,869.34 in 2022, $107,051 in 2021, and $30,048.78 in 2020, for a combined total of at least $258,873.94.
In addition to livestock costs, the lawsuit alleges significant equipment purchases tied to the farm.
In 2024, Young allegedly used “$78,000.00 of Cachengo’s funds to pay Hooper Farms Equipment,” a transaction the complaint says “was not submitted to Cachengo with any detail, receipt, or invoice.” The following year, the lawsuit alleges Young spent another $4,500 in company funds on hay.
The complaint also alleges repeated payments to an individual identified as “Stewart Anderson” over several years. According to the lawsuit, those purchases appear to include farm equipment and household items, supported in part by a handwritten receipt.
Items listed on that receipt include cattle panels of various sizes, a cattle sweep and head catch, feeders, hoses, railroad ties, a garden rake, a refrigerator, a microwave, heat bulbs, and buckets.
Despite the ongoing expenses, the complaint alleges the farm never operated as a viable business.
“The hobby farm has never generated enough revenue to offset its expenses,” the lawsuit states.
Exercise Equipment
According to the investigation, Beaulieu approved the purchase of gym and exercise equipment using company funds. The federal lawsuit similarly alleges that more than $29,000 was spent on exercise equipment, and claims the purchase had no clear business purpose.
Cachengo contends that the equipment was not tied to any employee wellness program, facility upgrade, or client-facing operation, and instead constituted personal spending charged to the company.
The internal report alleges that members of the Young family and close relatives made use of the equipment.
While Beaulieu is not accused in the lawsuit of directing overall company finances, Cachengo alleges her role in approving individual transactions made her a participant in the alleged misuse of company funds rather than a passive administrative employee.
Other Spending
In addition to lifestyle spending, the lawsuit alleges that company funds were used to pay $126,000 toward Ash Young’s personal IRS tax liabilities.
The lawsuit also claims that undocumented personal loans were issued using company money and never repaid. According to the complaint, these loans lacked repayment terms, promissory notes, or board approval.
“Mr. Young provided a loan with Cachengo’s money to at least one of his personal friends,” the lawsuit says. “This loan was never paid back and had no documentation to support it or its terms.”
What’s Next?
For employees, the allegations in the lawsuit only verify what many of them have feared while they went unpaid. As of the time of this writing (1/2/2025) employees have still not been paid.
All employees were furloughed on November 14, 2025.
The eviction deadline has passed for those who lived in company housing, and for many, the future is uncertain.
The allegations detailed in the lawsuit and internal investigation have not been proven in court, and the defendants are presumed innocent. No responses had been filed by the defendants at the time of this writing.
Part Four will examine how Cachengo alleges these transactions were carried out, including the roles played by family members, internal approvals, and why the company is pursuing federal racketeering claims under RICO.
Just gets crazier every day😳🥴