COLUMBUS, OH – Latasha Collins-Ford, 50, of Columbus, has confessed to a brazen scheme to defraud the bankruptcy system, repeatedly skipping out on rent and exploiting federal protections using stolen and fabricated identities. Collins-Ford pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court to bankruptcy fraud, a federal offense carrying a potential five-year prison sentence.
The scheme, spanning from 2019 to 2023, involved renting homes under assumed names, deliberately defaulting on payments, and then filing for bankruptcy to stall inevitable eviction proceedings. Once those petitions were resolved – either discharged or dismissed – Collins-Ford would simply pack up and move on, adopting a new identity and repeating the cycle at another unsuspecting landlord’s property. It was a calculated, cold-hearted pattern of deception.
Court documents reveal that Collins-Ford successfully perpetrated this fraud at least three times, renting three separate residences and utilizing three distinct false personas. The full extent of her operation is still under investigation, but authorities believe the three instances represent a pattern of consistent, deliberate fraud. Each time, she leveraged the good faith of the bankruptcy system to avoid financial responsibility.
“This wasn’t a matter of temporary hardship; it was a calculated and repeated abuse of the bankruptcy process,” stated a source close to the investigation. “She knowingly used stolen and fabricated identities to game the system, causing financial harm to landlords and undermining the integrity of the courts.” The FBI’s Cincinnati Division spent months unraveling the layers of false information and tracing Collins-Ford’s movements.
U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, Dominick S. Gerace II, and Elena Iatarola, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Cincinnati Division, jointly announced the guilty plea entered before U.S. District Judge Algenon L. Marbley. Assistant United States Attorney Tyler J. Aagard is prosecuting the case, and will argue for a significant sentence reflecting the calculated nature of the crime.
Sentencing for Collins-Ford will be determined at a future hearing, taking into account advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. While facing a maximum of five years behind bars, the judge has discretion in the final penalty. The Grimy Times will continue to follow this case and report on the sentencing when it is announced. # # #
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Key Facts
- State: Ohio
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: White Collar Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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