Former Attorney Pleads Guilty To Bankruptcy Fraud

Tampa, FL – Acting United States Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow announces that Josiah E. Hutton (60, Winter Haven) today pleaded guilty to concealment of assets from a bankruptcy estate. He faces a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison. Sentencing has been set for June 5, 2017.

According to the plea agreement, Hutton was retained to represent a debtor who was planning to file for bankruptcy. In anticipation of filing a bankruptcy petition, Hutton received a settlement check, which was property of the debtor’s bankruptcy estate, and deposited it into his attorney escrow account. Hutton later prepared and certified the debtor’s bankruptcy petition, yet he failed to list the settlement check as an asset, thereby concealing the asset from creditors and the Bankruptcy Court.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. It is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Chris Poor.