Syracuse Woman Enters Guilty Plea In Federal Court
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By Daniel [email protected]
According to documents from the United States District Court of Indiana, South Bend Division, Higgins, aka Krist Jo Higgins and Kristi Jo Arnett, was accused of mail fraud, wire fraud and bank fraud.
In her petition to enter a guilty plea, Higgins agreed to plead guilty to all the counts and admitted to not being a certified public accountant and not attending law school.
According to court documents, in 2007 Higgins and her husband, Patrick, applied for a loan from Countrywide Financial Corp. She falsely inflated the Higgins' business income, according to prosecutors.
The loan was for $340,000 and Higgins admitted to the fraud in May 2010 when interviewed by the FBI and Indiana State Police.
The court documents go on to state that in 2008, Higgins created a series of bogus federal income tax returns which greatly inflated her and her husband's business, Higgins Sport and Lawn, and the ability of the Higgins to repay the loan.
The court stated that by 2009, Higgins was attempting to use insufficient funds by check to pay the monthly amount due on the loan.
By January 2010, Zion Bank declared the loan to be in default.
In the charges against Higgins, it states the case against her started when Higgins Powersports allegedly defrauded an individual with a consignment agreement.
According to court documents, a person agreed to sell a watercraft, two ATVs and a trailer.
The victim said the Higgins told him they hadn't sold yet but when the victim came to pick up the items he found they were gone.
The charges state that Higgins mailed two insufficiently funded checks to the victim, listed as JB in court documents, knowing there were insufficient funds in February.
To date, the charges state the victim hasn't been paid for the ATV and trailer.
Higgins also defrauded National Powersports in Poway, Calif., according to the charges.
Pat Higgins bid in an online auction for three ATVs. He picked them up in Georgia and the court states he paid for them, $15,050 in all, with an insufficiently funded check.[[In-content Ad]]According to court documents, Kristi Higgins admitted to writing bad checks and admitted to bank fraud involving a loan application.
In Higgin's petition to enter a guilty plea, it states that she would plead guilty to all the charges.
The case is still pending in federal court.
According to documents from the United States District Court of Indiana, South Bend Division, Higgins, aka Krist Jo Higgins and Kristi Jo Arnett, was accused of mail fraud, wire fraud and bank fraud.
In her petition to enter a guilty plea, Higgins agreed to plead guilty to all the counts and admitted to not being a certified public accountant and not attending law school.
According to court documents, in 2007 Higgins and her husband, Patrick, applied for a loan from Countrywide Financial Corp. She falsely inflated the Higgins' business income, according to prosecutors.
The loan was for $340,000 and Higgins admitted to the fraud in May 2010 when interviewed by the FBI and Indiana State Police.
The court documents go on to state that in 2008, Higgins created a series of bogus federal income tax returns which greatly inflated her and her husband's business, Higgins Sport and Lawn, and the ability of the Higgins to repay the loan.
The court stated that by 2009, Higgins was attempting to use insufficient funds by check to pay the monthly amount due on the loan.
By January 2010, Zion Bank declared the loan to be in default.
In the charges against Higgins, it states the case against her started when Higgins Powersports allegedly defrauded an individual with a consignment agreement.
According to court documents, a person agreed to sell a watercraft, two ATVs and a trailer.
The victim said the Higgins told him they hadn't sold yet but when the victim came to pick up the items he found they were gone.
The charges state that Higgins mailed two insufficiently funded checks to the victim, listed as JB in court documents, knowing there were insufficient funds in February.
To date, the charges state the victim hasn't been paid for the ATV and trailer.
Higgins also defrauded National Powersports in Poway, Calif., according to the charges.
Pat Higgins bid in an online auction for three ATVs. He picked them up in Georgia and the court states he paid for them, $15,050 in all, with an insufficiently funded check.[[In-content Ad]]According to court documents, Kristi Higgins admitted to writing bad checks and admitted to bank fraud involving a loan application.
In Higgin's petition to enter a guilty plea, it states that she would plead guilty to all the charges.
The case is still pending in federal court.
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