In a significant development in the legal profession, John Roesser, a former partner at multiple Biglaw firms, recently pleaded guilty to the charge of making false statements and submitting faked records during his bankruptcy proceedings. Roesser was a partner at five major firms between 2010 and 2018, making stops at Seyfarth Shaw, Winston & Strawn, Alston & Bird, Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer, before ending up at Dechert.
Roesseer’s income during his tenure was substantial, mirrored by his high tax obligations, which amounted to roughly $3.8 million. These tax obligations allegedly remained unpaid. In 2020, Roesser resigned from the New York bar after admitting to misappropriating client funds in the six-figure range. Fast forwarding to 2022, he filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. His indictment followed shortly after when he claimed nearly $10 million was due to arrive to settle his substantial tax debts – a claim that proved untrue when the money never arrived. Above The Law has covered Roesser’s case from the beginning.
This past week, Roesser appeared before Judge Analisa Torres of the Southern District of New York. He pleaded guilty to one count of making false statements under penalty of perjury, and one count of submitting falsified records in his bankruptcy case. Additional details were reported by the New York Law Journal, revealing Roesser had admitted to his illegal actions during the proceedings.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams of the Southern District of New York highlighted the manipulative nature of Roesser’s actions, emphasising that his legal training made him fully aware of the illegalities of his actions. Williams stressed the importance of the United States bankruptcy system for providing relief to those attempting to lawfully navigate through debt, and condemned Roesser’s misuse of that system for his own gain.
Roesseer now faces a maximum sentence of up to five years in prison, along with three years of supervised release. The formal sentencing will be carried out in January.