Switzerland Man Pleads Guilty to Perjury

DALLAS — Rudolf Suter, 66, formerly of Dallas, appeared in federal court this morning and pleaded guilty, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Paul D. Stickney, to one count of perjury in federal proceeding under oath. The announcement was made today by U.S. Attorney John Parker of the Northern District of Texas.

In March 2016, Suter failed to show up for a contempt hearing. Suter was then found guilty of civil contempt of court and a civil contempt warrant was issued for his arrest by United States District Judge David C. Godbey. Suter, a citizen of Switzerland, was arrested in December 2016 on Judge Godbey’s civil contempt warrant when he attempted to re-enter the United States. Suter has remained continuously in custody since his arrest. He faces a maximum statutory penalty of 5 years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine. Sentencing is set for September 18, 2017 before United States District Judge David Godbey.

According to the plea documents, on January 17, 2014, Suter filed a voluntary bankruptcy petition in U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Texas. Suter concealed his true financial condition when he filed several bankruptcy related documents. In his plea documents, Suter admitted to making a false statement under penalty of perjury in his filed Statement of Financial Affairs, in which Suter concealed several banks accounts which he recently closed. Some of the concealed bank accounts were closed in December 2013, the month before he filed for bankruptcy. After remaining a fugitive outside the United States for approximately nine months, on December 11, 2016, Suter was arrested as he attempted to re-enter the U.S. at JFK International Airport in New York City.

This case is one of several felony prosecutions of bankruptcy-related crimes generated by the Bankruptcy Fraud Initiative in the Northern District of Texas. Suter is the 26^th defendant to have been charged as part of that initiative; 18 have been convicted, 1 resulted in a mistrial, and 7 are pending trial.

The Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation was in charge of the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Jarvis is in charge of the prosecution.

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