Henrico Man Pleads Guilty to Using Fradulent Bankruptcy Court Order

RICHMOND, VA—Ronald Wayne Hiteshew, 45, of Henrico, Va., pleaded guilty today to a single count criminal information charging him with forgery of a judge’s signature.

Neil H. MacBride, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Michael Morehart, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Richmond Division, made the announcement after the plea was accepted by United States Magistrate Judge Dennis W. Dohnal.

Hiteshew faces a maximum penalty of five years of incarceration, a $250,000.00 fine, and three years of supervised release when he is sentenced on February 16, 2012.

In a statement of facts filed with his plea agreement, Hiteshew admitted to using a fraudulent bankruptcy court order during his attempted purchase of a new home. At the time of the attempted purchase, Hiteshew, who was in bankruptcy, was subject to a court order that restricted the amount of debt he could incur. The fraudulent order purportedly allowed him to take on additional mortgage debt.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Michael C. Moore is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States. A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia at http://www.justice.gov/usao/vae. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia at http://www.vaed.uscourts.gov or on https://pcl.uscourts.gov.