URBANA, Ill. (WAND) — A Tuscola man has been sentenced for fraud related to his home building business in central Illinois.
Aaron Gillison, 40, pleaded guilty to giving a false oath or account in a bankruptcy proceeding.
According to a release from the US Department of Justice, Gillison first came under federal scrutiny following a series of complaints from central Illinois homeowners to local law enforcement agencies. One impacted homeowner won a civil judgement against Gillison and his company.
At the sentencing hearing in front of a U.S. District Court Judge, the government presented evidence that, at a bankruptcy proceeding, Gillion falsely claimed that he had not used business funds for personal expenses, nor had he mixed client funds with his own personal accounts.
Evidence from an FBI investigation uncovered that, in the twelve months leading up to his business declaring bankruptcy, Gillison had transferred approximately $65,000 from a business account into his personal account, wrote nearly $22,000 in checks to himself from the business account, and spent more than $10,000 in business funds on personal purchases, such as fishing gear and outdoor equipment according to the government.
Gillison was sentenced to one day in prison, a term of three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $76,995 in restitution.
Copyright 2024. WAND TV. All rights reserved.
