Russell Geyer, Bankruptcy Fraud, Virginia 2020
Saltville Man Sentenced for Bankruptcy Fraud
A Saltville, Virginia man who lied about his own death in order to hide assets from the federal bankruptcy court and later fraudulently assumed the identity of an attorney from Florida to further the scheme has been sentenced to 108 months in federal prison.
Russell Geyer, 50, pleaded guilty in May 2020 to one count of contempt of court, one count of bankruptcy fraud, one count of wire fraud, and one count of aggravated identity fraud.
According to court documents, Geyer admitted to participating in a scheme to defraud the United States Bankruptcy Court through a series of deceptive statements designed to hide assets and maintain control of collateral. These actions included, but were not limited to, repeatedly lying about fake medical conditions, including prostate cancer, bone cancer, cardiac issues, a brain aneurysm, and pneumonia.
On August 30, 2019, the attorney working for Geyer informed the court that he had received an email purportedly from Russell Geyer’s wife, stating that Russell Geyer was dead. In fact, Russell Geyer had sent the email posing as his wife.
At a September 5, 2019 hearing, Mrs. Geyer testified that her husband was alive and that neither she, nor Russell Geyer, had been out of town and in the hospital for the serious medical conditions claimed by the defendant throughout the case.
The investigation determined that Geyer had assumed the Florida attorney’s identity to fraudulently obtain $70,000 from his own wife. Geyer told his wife that he was going to receive more than $1 million in a settlement from a case that the Florida attorney was handling for him.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Randy Ramseyer is prosecuting the case for the United States.
Defendant Information: Russell Geyer, 50, of Saltville, Virginia
Criminal Charges: One count of contempt of court, one count of bankruptcy fraud, one count of wire fraud, and one count of aggravated identity fraud
Location: Abingdon, Virginia
Date: May 2020 (plea agreement), August 30, 2019 (email), and September 5, 2019 (hearing)
Sentence: 108 months in federal prison
Amount: $70,000
Key Facts
- State: Virginia
- Category: White Collar Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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