Ohio Man Pleads Guilty to Bankruptcy-Related Fraud

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Wayne Robert Rummel, 40, of Crown City, Ohio, pleaded guilty today to falsifying recorded information relating to the property or financial affairs of a debtor in bankruptcy.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on July 5, 2023, Rummel filed for Chapter 13 bankruptcy in United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of West Virginia. While the bankruptcy case was still pending, Rummel sought to obtain financing to purchase a 2022 Nissan Altima for $24,758.50. Rommel knew he needed the permission of the Bankruptcy Court or the United States Trustee, who oversees the administration of bankruptcy cases in the Southern District of West Virginia, to obtain a post-bankruptcy petition loan.

On February 26, 2025, Rummel emailed the lender a fake order from the Bankruptcy Court, which purported to provide approval for him to finance the vehicle purchase through the lender. As part of his guilty plea, Rommel admitted that he knew the Bankruptcy Court order was fake because he created it, and that neither the Court nor the United States Trustee had given him permission to obtain a loan with his bankruptcy case still pending.

Rummel is scheduled to be sentenced on January 5, 2026, and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000.

Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). The United States Trustee’s Charleston field office, which serves West Virginia, made the criminal referral of this case to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. The United States Trustee Program is a component of the Department of Justice whose mission is to promote the integrity and efficiency of the bankruptcy system for the benefit of all stakeholders — debtors, creditors and the public.

United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan T. Storage is prosecuting the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:25-cr-138.

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