Ocean County, N.J., Woman Sentenced To Two Years In Prison For Bankruptcy Fraud

TRENTON, N.J. - An Ocean County, N.J., woman was sentenced today to 24 months in prison for concealing from a bankruptcy trustee profits she had made on a Ponzi scheme investment, U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman announced.

Marjorie Parise, 51, of Manahawkin, N.J., previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Freda L. Wolfson to one count of bankruptcy fraud. Judge Wolfson imposed the sentence today in Trenton federal court.

According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:

In 2003, Parise and her husband invested approximately $115,750 with a company known as Global Trading Investments LLC and received in return profits totaling $429,154.91.  However, the owners of Global Trading were operating a Ponzi scheme and the profits that Parise received were actually the investments of other individuals. Global Trading subsequently filed for Chapter Seven bankruptcy protection.

On Aug. 24, 2006, a judgment was entered against Parise requiring her to return the profits she had made from her investments in the scheme.  Parise instead took numerous steps to fraudulently conceal a significant amount of funds and assets from the trustee, including making false statements and omissions during a deposition in the bankruptcy proceeding.

From Sept. 14, 2006, through Dec. 8, 2006, she also withdrew at least $455,850 in cash from the bank accounts that had not been disclosed to the trustee. Parise made 67 currency withdrawals, none of which exceeded the $10,000 threshold for the filing of Currency Transaction Reports.  In November 2006, Parise transferred ownership of her residence from her name only to the names of both her and her husband and increased the home equity line of credit on the home.

On July 7, 2008, Parise filed for individual Chapter Seven bankruptcy protection. On her bankruptcy petition, she fraudulently failed to report millions of dollars in real estate holdings plus hundreds of thousands of dollars in personal assets.

In addition to the prison term, Judge Wolfson sentenced Parise to three years of supervised release and ordered her to pay $353,404 in restitution.

U.S. Attorney Fishman credited special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Shantelle P. Kitchen in Newark, for the investigation.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney R. Joseph Gribko of the U.S. Attorney=s Office in Trenton.

13-470               
                                            
Defense counsel: Michael Pinsky Esq., Haddon Township, N.J.