Another former baseball slugger has made the news in regard to a bankruptcy filing this week. Former New York Mets and Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Leonard “Lenny” Dykstra has been sentenced to 6 ½ months in federal prison as a result of a bankruptcy fraud case focused around his hiding baseball memorabilia that should have been included in his bankruptcy filing.
In addition to the prison sentence, Dykstra has been ordered to complete 500 hours of community service and pay $200,000 in restitution.
Dykstra has had a series of legal troubles since retiring from professional baseball in 1998. He was sued by a business partner in 2005 in relation to a car wash that he owned and ran until 2005, and has been plagued with accusations of steroid use during his career. He bought Wayne Gretzky’s $17 million estate intending to flip it, but was unable to find a buyer. Eventually, the security guards of the private neighborhood were instructed to keep Dykstra away from the property because he had stripped over $51,000 worth of items from the house. He has also been had legal issues in relation to illegal drugs and grand theft auto.
In the current case, prosecutors accused Dykstra of hiding, selling, or destroying at least $200,000 worth of items without the approval of a bankruptcy trustee. Court documents filed by Dykstra indicate that he had placed certain items into a storage unit, while prosecutors allege he sold the items. In addition, the government claims that he sold a collection of baseball memorabilia from his playing days to a Vegas dealer and sold kept the money.
The lesson to be learned from this story is to be honest in you bankruptcy filings. Dykstra has been in a spiral of legal problems for several years now, and will be serving this sentence concurrently with a sentence he is currently serving.
If you have run into financial difficulties, it is important to have your case reviewed by an experienced St. Louis bankruptcy attorney. Bankruptcy can help people get back on their feet financially, and can help stop threatening and harassing collection efforts. The Westbrook Law Group practices exclusively in the area of bankruptcy law, and has helped hundreds of clients gain a fresh start through bankruptcy. We are conveniently located in St. Charles, Missouri, and also have a satellite office in Troy. We offer free consultations and have evening and weekend appointments available upon request. To schedule your free consultation with a St. Charles bankruptcy attorney, call us today at (636) 493-9231. If you would prefer, please feel free to fill out our contact for available to the right a member of our staff will be in touch with you soon.
