Springfield Man Sentenced For Bankruptcy Fraud

Springfield, Ill. – A Springfield, Ill., man, Michael A. Carr, 51, of St. James Court, has been ordered to serve 10 months in federal prison for concealing assets and making false statements related to bankruptcy proceedings, as announced by Jim Lewis, U.S. Attorney for the Central District of Illinois. At sentencing, on Oct. 27, 2014, U.S. District Judge Sue E. Myerscough further ordered that Carr pay $7,750 in restitution and remain on supervised release for three years following completion of his prison sentence. Carr was ordered to self-report to the federal Bureau of Prisons as directed by the U.S. Marshals Service.

On Sept. 23, 2013, Carr pled guilty to filing a bankruptcy petition that concealed property and included false statements to discharge his debts under Chapter 7 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code. Carr admitted that when he filed the petition, in June 2010, he concealed ownership of a motorcycle, sport utility vehicle, four all-terrain vehicles, and a pending insurance claim arising from the theft of a 1995 Harley-Davidson Softail motorcycle. 

The charges resulted from a referral by the U.S. Trustee for Indiana and Central and Southern Illinois (Region 10) to the Central District of Illinois Bankruptcy Fraud Working Group.  The charges were investigated by the FBI and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregory K. Harris prosecuted the case.

“Abuse of the bankruptcy system by concealing assets for personal gain threatens the integrity of the bankruptcy system and undermines public confidence in that system,” stated Nancy J. Gargula, U.S. Trustee for Central Illinois, Southern Illinois and Indiana (Region 10).  “I am grateful to U.S. Attorney Lewis and our law enforcement partners for their strong commitment to combating fraud and abuse in bankruptcy cases.”

The U.S. Trustee Program is the component of the Justice Department that protects the integrity of the bankruptcy system by overseeing case administration and litigating to enforce the bankruptcy laws. Region 10 is headquartered in Indianapolis, with additional offices in South Bend, Ind., and Peoria, Ill.

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