A Syracuse man, Robert Johnson, 41, has been charged with making false declarations in bankruptcy cases, bankruptcy fraud, and falsification of bankruptcy records. The charges stem from allegations that Johnson filed fraudulent bankruptcy petitions in several states including Michigan, Mississippi, Iowa, Florida, New York, Montana, Pennsylvania, Delaware, and West Virginia.
According to a criminal complaint, between June and July 2025 Johnson submitted multiple false petitions. These filings claimed that a law enforcement official was a commodity broker involved in white collar crimes and wire fraud who owed him $99,999,999. The complaint also alleges he made similar claims against an Onondaga County State Court Judge and a Cayuga County Supreme Court Judge. In another petition filed in West Virginia, Johnson accused a Syracuse-based non-profit organization of being associated with environmental hazards as well as financial crimes such as money laundering and Ponzi schemes. Investigators determined that each petition was mailed from Syracuse.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation reviewed the petitions and found the claims to be untrue.
Acting United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III stated: “Johnson, as alleged, filed bogus petitions in nine states against respected public officials, and a reputable non-profit organization. These false petitions wreak havoc on the victims; it is a form of financial terrorism. As Mr. Johnson’s arrest will attest, we will not stand for this conduct in the Northern District of New York. I want to commend the FBI agents who conducted this investigation and were able to apprehend the defendant in record time.”
FBI Special Agent in Charge Craig L. Tremaroli said: “The impact of Mr. Johnson’s alleged fraud was incredibly damaging to the individuals and the non-profit he targeted. Once our office was notified of the alleged crimes, we investigated and swiftly arrested Johnson, who is now facing federal charges for his reckless schemes. The FBI will continue to aggressively investigate criminals looking to defraud our communities.”
Johnson faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted on all counts as well as fines up to $250,000 and three years of supervised release following any prison term. Sentencing would be determined by a judge based on applicable statutes and guidelines.
He appeared before United States Magistrate Judge Mark W. Pederson today and was ordered detained pending further proceedings.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Geoffrey Brown is prosecuting the case.
