Liesa D. Strope, 39, formerly of Meridian, Idaho, was sentenced today in Boise to five months of home detention to be followed by two and one half years of probation for making false statements in her Idaho bankruptcy case, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. Strope pleaded guilty to the charge in January 2011.

According to the plea agreement Strope filed a Chapter 7 bankruptcy in Kansas in 2004 with her then husband, and they were both granted a discharge of debts. Five years later Strope and a new husband filed a joint petition in Idaho for bankruptcy, and she signed the petition under penalty of perjury. Strope falsely stated on the Idaho petition that she had not previously filed for bankruptcy. At a July 2009 Idaho bankruptcy hearing, Strope falsely testified under oath that all of the information on her bankruptcy petition was true and correct. She was silent when asked if she had filed for bankruptcy before. Persons who obtain a discharge in bankruptcy under Chapter 7 are not entitled to another discharge for eight years.

The case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation Division with assistance from the Office of the United States Trustee.