Bronxville Former Lawyer Lied To Bankruptcy Court: District Attorney

BRONXVILLE, NY — A Westchester County man, who used to be a law firm partner, was arrested after being accused of lying under oath and submitting falsified records.

Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, said Tuesday that John Roesser, 52, of Bronxville, was charged with one count of falsification of records in bankruptcy and one count of false oaths and claims in bankruptcy.

Prosecutors said he lied to the Bankruptcy Court and the IRS about receiving millions of dollars in order to receive the protections of bankruptcy and keep his assets — including a multi-million-dollar residence and an Aston Martin sports car — while not paying his bills.

Williams said that bankruptcy is a lifeline for many people who need its protections to keep their lives together.

“The defendant allegedly corrupted and degraded a system that helps so many,” he said.

“As alleged, he manipulated the bankruptcy system by lying and falsifying bank records so that he could use its protections to keep his assets and to avoid paying his bills,” Williams said. “And he should have known better — he used to be lawyer.”

According to the indictment, from March 2013 through January 2018, Roesser was a partner at three multinational law firms, where he earned substantial income and incurred substantial income tax liability.

He resigned from the New York bar around June 2020 after admitting that he misappropriated client funds, authorities said.

By 2022, Roesser owed the IRS, and others, more than $3 million dollars. He also owned a house that he estimated was worth millions of dollars and an Aston Martin Rapide luxury sports car.

Prosecutors said, instead of paying his debts, in February 2022, Roesser filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York.

In a Chapter 11 bankruptcy, a debtor may keep possession of assets as long as there’s a viable plan of reorganization, which creditors vote on. If a debtor doesn’t comply with Chapter 11 requirements, it can be converted to a Chapter 7 bankruptcy or dismissed.

Roesser told the Bankruptcy Court and the IRS that he would soon be receiving millions of dollars, after which he would be able to pay his debts while keeping his house, prosecutors said.

Then, he filed a false declaration and submitted falsified records in the bankruptcy indicating that he had received millions of dollars, which was false, according to authorities.

Prosecutors said that was done to conceal the fact that Roesser had not received millions of dollars after all — in order to retain control of his assets while avoiding payment of his debts.

On March 3, after some of the above false statements were withdrawn by Roesser’s attorney in the bankruptcy, his Chapter 11 bankruptcy was dismissed.

Authorities said, without the protections of bankruptcy, creditors can now take steps to seize Roesser’s asset to pay his debts.

According to Williams’s office, the falsification of records charge carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. The false oath charge carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison.