BECKLEY, WV (LOOTPRESS) – James E. Monroe Jr., 59, of Daniels, pleaded guilty today to money laundering.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on February 25, 2022, Monroe filed a petition for personal bankruptcy. Monroe knew he was required to submit true and correct schedules listing his assets and a statement detailing his financial affairs as part of the bankruptcy process. Monroe admitted that he sold his collection of over 10,000 sports trading cards after filing for bankruptcy and without disclosing its existence or its post-petition sale in the bankruptcy filings as required. Monroe further admitted that he sold the collection to a friend online to convert the collection into cash and disguise the nature of the resulting proceeds.
Monroe admitted that his asset schedules and statement of financial affairs also did not disclose the December 2021 sale of his marital home in the Glade Springs residential development for $525,000, or the existence of a retirement account, two loans he obtained by using the equity associated with his whole-life insurance policy as collateral, and a storage unit he rented in the Shady Spring area that contained property belonging to the bankruptcy estate. Monroe further admitted that his schedules falsely stated that his then-minor daughter lived with him and was his dependent when neither was true.
Monroe is scheduled to be sentenced on May 15, 2025, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a $500,000 fine.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). The United States Trustee’s Charleston field office, which serves West Virginia, made the criminal referral of this case to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. The United States Trustee Program is a component of the Department of Justice whose mission is to promote the integrity and efficiency of the bankruptcy system for the benefit of all stakeholders — debtors, creditors and the public.
United States Magistrate Judge Omar J. Aboulhosn presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan T. Storage is prosecuting the case.
