Idaho Falls woman sentenced for bankruptcy fraud and concealing assets
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The following is a news release from the Idaho U.S. Attorney’s Office.
POCATELLO – Melody Gunn, 45, of Idaho Falls was sentenced Tuesday to three years of probation, including six months of home confinement and four weekends of intermittent incarceration, for one count of bankruptcy fraud, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson said in a news release. Chief U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill also ordered Gunn to pay a fine of $1,000. Gunn pleaded guilty to the charge on January 28.
According to the plea agreement, Ms. Gunn and her now ex-husband filed for bankruptcy in May 2011, and made false representations in schedules and a statement of financial affairs filed with their bankruptcy petition. The Gunns, under penalty of perjury, misrepresented the value of a 1968 Camaro which they had previously sold, and they falsely claimed that they held another asset, a 2008 Artic Cat Prowler Utility Task Vehicle (UTV), as “property held for another person.” The misrepresentations totaled $18,190. The Gunns admitted in court that they provided the false information to mislead and conceal assets and influence and prevent the chapter 7 trustee from seizing and selling assets in the course of the bankruptcy proceedings.
Benjamin Gunn, a co-defendant in the case, is set for sentencing on May 20, 2016, before Chief U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill at the federal courthouse in Pocatello.
The case was investigated by Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigations.