Carlyle Man Sentenced for Role in Bankruptcy Fraud Conspiracy
| U.S. Attorney’s Office April 13, 2009 |
A. Courtney Cox, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, announced today that on April 13, 2009, JOSEPH DIEKEMPER, 61, of Carlyle, Illinois, was sentenced to 120 months imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release. DIEKEMPER was also ordered to pay $400 in special assessments.
DIEKEMPER had previously entered pleas of guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Bankruptcy Fraud; Conspiracy to Commit Mail Fraud; Making a False Statement to the United States Department of Agriculture Commodity Credit Corporation; and Perjury, on November 26, 2008. U.S. Attorney Cox emphasized, “The United States Attorney’s Office takes the issue of bankruptcy fraud seriously and will prosecute those who violate the bankruptcy laws to the fullest extent the law permits. Dishonesty with the Court, the Office of the United States Trustee, and the creditors cannot, and will not, be tolerated.”
“This sentence demonstrates that abuse of the bankruptcy process will not be permitted,” stated Nancy J. Gargula, United States Trustee for Region 10, which includes the Southern District of Illinois. The U.S. 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.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, the United States Postal Inspection Service, the United States Department of Agriculture, and the Office of United States Trustees, conducted the investigation. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Hudson, Norman Smith, and Kevin Burke.