Chicago, IL—(ENEWSPF)— A former Park Forest woman was sentenced to two years in federal prison for embezzling more than $600,000 from bankruptcy estate accounts.
Becky Louise Sutton, a former paralegal for a Chicago law firm, fraudulently embezzled funds from 2009 to 2018 while working on bankruptcy matters for the firm. Sutton embezzled money from more than 40 bankruptcy estate accounts and several liquidating trust accounts in Chapter 7 and Chapter 11 matters.
Sutton, then 67, of Austin, Texas, and formerly of Park Forest, Ill., pleaded guilty on Dec. 14, 2023, to a wire fraud charge. She was charged in April 2022. The conviction was punishable by up to 20 years in federal prison. U.S. District Judge Mary M. Rowland set sentencing for April 2, 2024, at 11:00 a.m.
Former Park Forester Orchestrated Fraudulent Transfers
Sutton orchestrated fraudulent transfers of bankruptcy funds from fiduciary bank accounts intended for creditors to accounts she controlled, including her personal bank account, credit card account, student loan account, and mortgage account. In one instance, Sutton listed a company with a name similar to an actual creditor to disguise her fraudulent diversion of the funds.
Sutton’s conduct victimized not only the creditors but also her law firm, a partner at the firm for whom she worked, and the U.S. Trustee Program, among others.
Sutton, 68, of Manteno, Ill., pleaded guilty last year to wire fraud. In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Judge Mary M. Rowland ordered Sutton to pay $611,263 in restitution.
Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Robert W. “Wes” Wheeler, Jr., Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI, announced the sentence. The U.S. Trustee Program provided valuable assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kartik K. Raman represented the government.
This is a release from the United States Department of Justice.
