Georgetown Man Pleads Guilty to Bankruptcy Fraud Scheme

BOSTON—A Georgetown man was convicted today in federal court of committing a bankruptcy fraud scheme.

John Pregent, “aka” Jack Pregent, 61, pleaded guilty before United States District Judge George A. O’Toole to one count of bankruptcy fraud involving a scheme to defraud. Sentencing is scheduled for May 15, 2012 at 2:30 p.m. He faces up to five years in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine.

Pregent owned the precision machine part manufacturing business Technical Fabrications, Inc. (“TechFab”) which operated in Newburyport until it filed for bankruptcy in July 2010. Pregent engaged in a scheme to defraud TechFab’s creditors, bankruptcy trustee and the bankruptcy court by transferring certain TechFab assets, including equipment and ongoing business, to a newly formed company. Pregent arranged for that new company to pay compensation for TechFab’s assets directly to himself, then filed a Chapter 7 bankruptcy for TechFab to discharge its debts all while concealing the pre-bankruptcy transfer of assets and the agreement to pay compensation for those assets to Pregent. Furthermore, Pregent failed to disclose the transfers and compensation agreement in TechFab’s bankruptcy pleadings and during his testimony before a meeting of creditors.

U.S. Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz and Richard DesLauriers, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation-Boston Field Office made the announcement today.

The case was referred for investigation by the U.S. Trustee’s Office in Boston and was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark J. Balthazard of Ortiz’s Economic Crimes Unit.