SACO – Former clients of an accounting and payroll processing firm are weighing an attempt to force the company owner into bankruptcy to recover some of their losses.

Bankruptcy lawyer James Molleur said several businesses who used Harmon-Baert Associates have approached him about the best recourse for recovering money they have lost.

The owner of the firm, John Baert, faces federal charges alleging he mishandled more than $1 million of his clients’ money that was supposed to pay for federal and state taxes. The company shut its doors abruptly in November.