Department of Justice

U.S. Attorney’s Office

District of Vermont

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Thursday, April 28, 2016

Donna Young Pleads Not Guilty To Bankruptcy Misrepresentation

The United States Attorney for the District of Vermont announced that Donna Young, 67, of Wilmington, pleaded not guilty today in United States District Court in Burlington to charges that she made false statements under penalty of perjury in three bankruptcy cases she filed. U.S. Magistrate Judge John M. Conroy released Young on conditions pending trial, which has not been scheduled.

On April 13, 2016, a federal grand jury in Rutland returned a three-count false statement indictment against Young. Young was arrested on that charge today. According to the indictment, on two dates in 2013 and a third time in October 2014, Donna Young filed bankruptcy petitions in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for Vermont. The petitions were fraudulent because they were filed in the name of Donna Young's daughter, Kelli-Ann Young, without Kelli-Ann’s knowledge or consent. According to the indictment, Donna Young forged Kelli-Ann Young’s signature on each of the petitions, which she swore to under penalty of perjury. At the time the petitions were filed, there was a foreclosure and eviction proceeding pending in Vermont state court involving a property in West Dover that Kelli-Ann Young had at one time owned. Donna Young was living in the West Dover house during the foreclosure and the filing of the bankruptcy petitions automatically stayed those eviction proceedings.

The United States Attorney emphasizes that the charges in the indictment are merely accusations and that the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until she is proven guilty.

If convicted, Donna Young faces up to five years of imprisonment and a fine of up to $250,000. The actual sentence would be determined with reference to federal sentencing guidelines.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Young is represented by Federal Public Defender Michael Desautels. The prosecutor is Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregory Waples.