Daniel Doyle, 56, of Sanford, South Carolina, formerly of Sun Prairie, Wisconsin, was sentenced to one year of probation yesterday for committing felony fraud in a federal bankruptcy proceeding. U.S. District Judge James D. Peterson handed down the sentence after Doyle admitted to lying under oath, concealing key assets while discharging over half a million dollars in personal debt.
The crime dates back to March 2014, when Doyle filed for bankruptcy in the Western District of Wisconsin. In his petition and supporting schedules, he deliberately omitted that he was married, that his wife was terminally ill with cancer, and that he was the sole beneficiary of a $250,000 life insurance policy on her life. These omissions were not oversights — they were calculated lies to defraud the system.
At a mandatory creditors meeting, Doyle doubled down on the deception. Under oath, he claimed he would not receive any life insurance proceeds following his wife’s death. Federal investigators say the lie was brazen, told with full awareness that perjury in bankruptcy cases is a federal felony carrying prison time. But Doyle gambled — and lost.
Shortly after his debts were wiped clean, Doyle filed a claim on the policy and collected more than $250,000. The windfall triggered suspicion. Months later, the U.S. Trustee received an anonymous tip: Doyle had waited until his bankruptcy case closed before cashing in. That call lit a fuse on a federal probe.
The U.S. Trustee moved to reopen the bankruptcy case. Faced with overwhelming evidence, Doyle admitted he lied and agreed to a voluntary dismissal of his discharge. The damage, however, was done — creditors were stiffed while Doyle walked away with a quarter-million-dollar payout funded by deception.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and IRS Criminal Investigation, with support from the Office of the U.S. Trustee. Assistant U.S. Attorney Laura A. Przybylinski Finn prosecuted. At sentencing, Judge Peterson made one thing clear: fraud against the bankruptcy court won’t be treated as a paperwork error. It’s a crime — and others should think twice before trying it.
Related Federal Cases
- 23andMe Faces Legal Fire for Genetic Data Sale · Washington
- Live Nation Faces Trial Over Monopoly Practices · Washington
- 23andMe Faces Lawsuit for Selling Genetic Data · Washington
- SC Man Sentenced to 40 Years for Child Pornography · Wisconsin
- 19 Arrested in International Romance Scam · Mississippi
Key Facts
- State: Wisconsin
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: Official Source ↗
🔒 Get the grimiest stories delivered weekly. Subscribe free →
Browse More
