Canyon County Woman Pleads Guilty to Bank Fraud and Bankruptcy Fraud

BOISE—Shawna Lea Pennington, 40, of Caldwell, Idaho, pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court to bank fraud and bankruptcy fraud, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced.

According to the plea agreement, Pennington admitted to submitting a loan application to a financial institution in March 2010 with a false and fictitious earnings statement and Form W- 2, as well as falsely representing the amount of cash on hand. In December 2010, Pennington filed a bankruptcy petition. She admitted to failing to disclose creditors on her bankruptcy schedule, which would have provided them with notice of her bankruptcy filing.

Bank fraud is punishable by up to 30 years in prison, a maximum fine of $1,000,000, and up to five years of supervised release. Bankruptcy fraud is punishable by up to five years in prison, a maximum fine of $ 250,000, and up to three years of supervised release. The court can also order that Pennington pay restitution to the victims of the offense.

Sentencing is set for June 13, 2012 before U.S. District Judge Edward J. Lodge at the federal courthouse in Boise.

The case was investigated by the Nampa Police Department with the assistance from the Idaho Attorney General’s Office, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the United States Trustee’s Office.