CEDAR FALLS -- University of Northern Iowa students packed the Curris Business Building's John Deere Auditorium Wednesday afternoon for a presentation by "Iowa's Fugitive" Patrick Kuhse.

The capacity crowd of about 200 were on hand to hear Kuhse tell his story, from growing up in Grundy Center to a being a white-collar criminal to the four years he spent in a federal penitentiary.

Kuhse regularly presents his riveting story to universities and businesses across the country, and Wednesday was the second time in two years that he presented his story to UNI students.

The Iowa native's tale touched on subjects as diverse as relationship advice, graduate school admittance and balancing family life with work.

But Kuhse concentrated on the critical thinking errors that he said underpin all unethical behavior. Kuhse presented eight errors: entitlement, super optimism, rationalization, situational ethics, seemingly unimportant decisions, victimitis, affection disconnection and laziness.

Compromising his integrity to these errors, Kuhse said, was the source of his downfall, and he preached to students about how to avoid the same pitfalls that lead to it.

"I had my greed goggles on," said Kuhse, who was indicted on 32 federal offenses for defrauding the state of Oklahoma.

Kuhse also spent four years on the lam. He avoided international bounty hunters and Interpol while hiding in Central and South America.

"My parents didn't know for years if I was alive or dead," said Kuhse. Finally Kuhse gave himself up and spent nearly four years in prison where he earned a college degree from Western Illinois University.

After his release, Kuhse had no possessions, owed $4 million to the government and had been banned from his profession. He also owed hundreds of hours of community service, which is how he came to find his calling as a public speaker.

"Along the way I realized that my passion is doing what I am doing here today," said Kuhse. Kuhse still has $3.29 million left on his restitution, but says he is going to make a movie to pay it off.

He also praised UNI's department of business, especially Dr. Donna J. Wood, the David W. Wilson Chair of Business Ethics. Kuhse said he wished someone had warned him of the perils of unethical decision making, and that delivering his message to people in his home state of Iowa is important to him.

Contact Drew Andersen at (319) 291-1418 or drew.andersen@wcfcourier.com.