Erie Man Charged with Violating Federal Bankruptcy Laws

ERIE, Pa. - A resident of Erie, Pennsylvania, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Erie on a charge of violating federal bankruptcy laws, United States Attorney David J. Hickton announced today.

The one-count indictment named Douglas A. Grooms, 45, as the sole defendant.

According to the indictment presented to the court, Grooms concealed property from the United States Bankruptcy Trustee in connection with his bankruptcy case.

The law provides for a maximum total sentence of five years in prison, a fine of $250,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.

Assistant United States Attorney Christian A. Trabold is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation leading to the indictment in this case.

An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.