Palm Beach Businessman Charged With Bankruptcy Fraud

R. Alexander Acosta, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Jonathan I. Solomon, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Miami Field Office, and Brian J. Wimpling, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation, Miami Field Office, announced the filing of an Information, charging defendant W. Lawrence LeNeve, a.k.a. William Lawrence LeNeve and Larry LeNeve, 65, of Palm Beach, Florida, with bankruptcy fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. Sections 152(1) and 2.

As charged in the Information, from approximately September 13, 2001, through September 9, 2002, LeNeve knowingly and fraudulently concealed property belonging to the Chapter 11 bankruptcy estate of Indiantown Realty Partners II, Limited Partnership, Case Number 01-34804-BKC-PGH, filed in the United States Bankruptcy Court in the Southern District of Florida, which property included transfers of monies belonging to the bankruptcy estate of Indiantown Realty Partners II, Limited Partnership, to Partnership Management Services, Inc., a company wholly-owned by LeNeve.

According to bankruptcy records, in addition to the Indiantown II case, LeNeve was associated with the following bankruptcies: Indiantown Realty Partners, Ltd., Case No. 01-32458-BKC-PGH; WLN Family Ltd. Partnership, Case No. 02-31098-BKC-PGH; Laura Andre, Inc., Case No. 02-32068-BKC-PGH; William Lawrence LeNeve, Case No. 03-36439-BKC-PGH; and Trekar Land Holdings, Case No. 05-31088-BKC-SHF. Bankruptcy records also indicate that LeNeve was held in contempt of court by the Bankruptcy Court several times during the course of these bankruptcies.

LeNeve has an initial appearance scheduled for Wednesday, November 8, 2006 in Fort Pierce, Florida. The maximum statutory sentence for the bankruptcy fraud count is five (5) years’ imprisonment and a $250,000 fine.

Mr. Acosta commended the investigative efforts of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Carolyn Bell.