Bankruptcy: No Discharge After Bankruptcy Fraud

     In the case of Groggins v. Robbins, U.S. Trustee, a Roanoke United States District Court upheld a bankruptcy court decision denying a discharge to a Chapter 7 debtor convicted of bankruptcy fraud. The Court in Groggins agreed with the U.S. Trustee’s argument that the debtor’s bankruptcy fraud conviction collaterally estopped him from contending that he had not made a false oath in connection with his Virginia bankruptcy case, and, thus a discharge was unwarranted. The debtor in Groggins was charged, and pled guilty, to fraud for making a false oath, in that he failed to disclose that he had a prior bankruptcy filing.