Putnam County Man Pleads Guilty to Making False Declaration in Bankruptcy Case

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – William Howard Gregory, 73, of Scott Depot, pleaded guilty today to knowingly and fraudulently making a false declaration in a bankruptcy case.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on June 1, 2018, Gregory filed false documents in his bankruptcy case that failed to disclose the existence of five life insurance policies with the collective surrender value of approximately $235,000. Gregory admitted that he knew he was required to disclose the existence of his policies and chose not to disclose them.

Gregory is scheduled to be sentenced on October 10, 2023, and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.

United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). The U.S. Trustee’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia made the criminal referral of this case to the U.S. Attorney's Office. The United States Trustee Program is the component of the Department of Justice that protects the integrity of the bankruptcy system by overseeing case administration and litigating to enforce the bankruptcy laws.

United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan T. Storage is prosecuting the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:23-cr-95. 

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