On Monday, U.S. District Judge Joseph Battailon sentenced Petra Odila Ortega-Sosa, 40, to three years probation for being an accessory after the fact to bankruptcy fraud.
the Lincoln Journal Star | Posted: Monday, August 25, 2008 7:00 pm
On Monday, U.S. District Judge Joseph Battailon sentenced Petra Odila Ortega-Sosa, 40, to three years probation for being an accessory after the fact to bankruptcy fraud.
Ortega-Sosa and her husband filed a Chapter 7 bankruptcy petition in Nebraska, but Ortega-Sosa was caught using a fake Social Security number on the paperwork.
According to a press release from U.S Attorney Joe Stecher, the U.S. Trustee offices uses a Social Security number to determine whether the person filing for bankruptcy has done so before, which might disqualify the person from being eligible for relief. Ortega-Sosa does not have a Social Security number.
Ortega-Sosa was also ordered to pay a $1,000 fine. The maximum penalty for the crime is three years in prison and up to a $250,000 fine.