Benton Attorney Pleads Guilty to Bankruptcy Fraud

A Benton attorney has pled guilty in Monroe Federal Court to collecting filing fees from clients without informing the bankruptcy court.

U.S. Attorney Stephanie Finley says 53-year-old Glay H. Collier, II, entered a conditional guilty plea to one count of bankruptcy fraud. The plea will become final when it's accepted by U.S. District Judge Robert G. James.

According to evidence presented at the guilty plea, Collier filed records into the bankruptcy court stating he would accept 'No Look' fees as payment for his services. The fee caps attorney's fees in bankruptcy proceedings to $2,800. In excess of that limit, Collier charged up to $281 in filing fees to some clients, which he did not disclose to the court.

The evidence showed that between March 2010 and November 2013, Coller filed 983 Chapter 13 bankruptcy cases in Monroe, and 2,160 cases in Shreveport. In nearly 480 of those cases, he collected and attempted to collect filing fees.

Collier faces up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. He'll be sentenced March 1, 2016.