Pulaski County Woman Indicted for Bankruptcy Fraud

A federal grand jury for the Southern District of Illinois has returned an indictment charging Jessica A. Browning, 44, of Ullin, Illinois (Pulaski County), with two counts of bankruptcy fraud, announced Steven D. Weinhoeft, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois. Browning was indicted as part of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s continuing effort to crackdown on those who commit fraud in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Illinois.

Browning filed a chapter 13 bankruptcy case in the federal bankruptcy court in Benton, Illinois, on March 17, 2014. The indictment charges that, on a document she filed with the bankruptcy court, Browning intentionally concealed the fact that just three weeks before filing bankruptcy she had received a $12,675.47 worker’s compensation award. The indictment further alleges that, at a meeting of creditors in her bankruptcy case, Browning provided false testimony regarding what she did with the funds from her worker’s compensation award.

"I am grateful to U.S. Attorney Weinhoeft and our law enforcement partners for their strong commitment to combating fraud and abuse in bankruptcy cases, as evidenced by today’s proceedings," stated Nancy J. Gargula, U.S. Trustee for Southern Illinois, Central Illinois and Indiana (Region 10). 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, Indiana, and Peoria, Illinois.

Browning is charged with making a false statement under penalty of perjury in a bankruptcy case and making a false statement under oath in a bankruptcy case. Both crimes carry a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.

The arraignment for Browning will be conducted on September 5, 2018 at 1:30 p.m. at the Federal Courthouse in Benton, Illinois.

An indictment is a formal charge against a defendant. Under the law, a defendant is presumed to be innocent of a charge until proved guilty beyond a reasonable doubt to the satisfaction of a jury.

The charges resulted from a referral by the U.S. Trustee for Region 10 to the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois. The investigation was conducted by agents from the Fairview Heights, Illinois, Office of the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigations, in collaboration with the Southern Illinois Bankruptcy Fraud Working Group coordinated by the U.S. Trustee. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Scott A. Verseman.