The United States Attorney's Office

Eastern District of Pennsylvania

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October 18, 2006 -

THREE CHARGED LOCALLY IN “OPERATION TRUTH OR
CONSEQUENCES” – NATIONWIDE BANKRUPTCY
FRAUD INITIATIVE

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Pat Meehan today announced the filing of three separate Indictments* against defendants Jean Krotz, Tameeka Moletta and Robert Coates for charges related to fraud during the bankruptcy process. The indictments are part of “Operation Truth or Consequences,” the Justice Department’s nationwide crackdown on bankruptcy fraud. United States Attorneys have filed criminal charges against 78 individuals in 69 separate prosecutions in 36 judicial districts on a variety of federal bankruptcy fraud and related counts.

"When defendants file false bankruptcy claims and attempt to hide assets, they are committing a fraud on creditors and the bankruptcy court,”said Meehan. “They are trying to unload their debt and hang on to their assets at the same time. The bankruptcy system is in place to provide relief for honest people in need. This kind of fraud drains the system.”
Also announced today was the creation of a new Internet hotline for reporting suspected bankruptcy fraud to the U.S. Trustee Program, the Department of Justice component that promotes and protects the integrity of the bankruptcy system. Members of the public can now report suspected bankruptcy fraud via email to USTP.Bankruptcy.Fraud@usdoj.gov.

Locally, the indictment against Jean Krotz charges her with making a false representation in relation to a bankruptcy proceeding. The indictment alleges that defendant Jean Krotz filed a bankruptcy petition in the name of her minor daughter, and then altered the petition to make it look as if the petition had been filed in her own name. Defendant Jean Krotz then faxed the altered bankruptcy petition to the Bucks County Sheriff’s Office to stop the planned Sheriff’s sale of her home. According to the indictment, defendant Jean Krotz was unable to file for bankruptcy in her own name because the United States Bankruptcy Court had barred her in August 2003 from filing any additional bankruptcy petitions without prior approval from the court.

The indictment against Tameeka Moletta charges her with making a false declaration in a bankruptcy proceeding. According to the indictment, defendant Tameeka Moletta filed three bankruptcy petitions between October 2002 and March 2003 under the name Carrie Bryon and using a social security number that was not assigned to her.

The indictment against Robert Coates charges him with using a false social security number and making a false declaration in a bankruptcy proceeding. The indictment alleges that defendant Robert Coates filed four bankruptcy petitions November 2002 and January 2005 using a social security number that was not assigned to him.

If convicted of their crimes, defendant Jean Krotz faces a possible maximum sentence of 5 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, three years of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment; defendant Tameeka Moletta faces a possible maximum sentence of 15 years imprisonment, a $750,000 fine, three years of supervised release, and a $300 special assessment; and defendant Robert Coates faces a possible maximum sentence of 40 years imprisonment, a $2 million fine, three years of supervised release, and an $800 special assessment.

The cases were investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Social Security Administration, Office of the Inspector General, and has been assigned to Assistant United States Attorney Leo R. Tsao.

Benjamin Franklin Photo by B. Krist for the Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation

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