FACT: In a city of approximately 27,000 African Americans, is it observed that there are only two persons of color employed in the United States Federal Building in Rockford, IL. One is supervisor in the bankruptcy clerk's office. The other is janitor.

REPORTED: Bankruptcy trustee Bernard Natale has influence with the DEA. It has been reported that he sends them to break into the residences of ligitants that challenge him in the bankruptcy court.

FACT: Someone has contracted with the company, Cyvelliance, to surf this site for defamatory remarks. There is another company that has been contracted to attempt to ascertain how many people have written articles presented on this site.

FACT: Someone is spending lots of money to contract with those services. The U.S. Department of Justice is a regular visitor to this site. Your tax money at work.

FACT: In bankruptcy case number 01-71054, Judge Manuel Barbosa entered an order that the debtor has to request leave to file documents in her case. Federal Rule of Civil Procedure allows 10 days for filing motions challenging orders. The debtor was barred from filing a motion to challenge the order requiring her to request leave to file, because she did not request leave to file the motion. Judge Barbosa has worked it out so that he can enter orders banning litigants from filing motions in their case that they cannot challenge unless he gives his approval. By the way, it was the clerk of the court that refused to file the debtor's motion challenging the order.

FACT: All adversary proceedings filed between June 1998 and October 2000 seeking turnover of real estate was for property located outside of the city of Rockford.

REPORTED: All adversary proceedings filed after October 2000 seeking turnover of real estate has been for property located outside of the city of Rockford, with the exception of one case, that ended with trustee James Stevens withdrawing his complaint.

REPORTED: There is a racketeering operation ran by some Chapter 7 trustees in the Northern District of Illinois, Western Division, that requires attorneys to collude in schemes of extortion under color of official right.

FACT: In bankruptcy case number 97-50687, Judge Manuel Barbosa banned the debtor and non-debtor defendant from entering pleadings without first getting his approval. When asked for leave to file, Judge Barbosa denied it, then found in favor of the trustee, Thomas Lester, by default.

FACT: In bankruptcy case number 97-50687, Chapter 7 trustee Daniel Donahue voluntarily withdrew as trustee from the case AFTER he obtained a relief from the automatic stay for his client, The State Bank of Davis, the one creditor in the case. The replacement trustee, Thomas Lester, then hired Daniel Donahue and his law firm, McGreevy, Johnson & Williams P.C. in the case as part of his team of professionals. Daniel Donahue revoked the debtor's discharge of debts. Thomas Lester then went after non-Debtor owned property.

FACT: In the same case, number 97-50687, trustee Thomas Lester states in his final report that he sold property listed on the Debtor's Schedules. The property Thomas Lester sold IS NOT listed on the Debtor's Schedules in any form other than his address.

FACT: On or about September 4, 2002, the elderly couple of the property were evicted onto the streets. They had more than a few quarter horses that the sheriff also took off the property and are now destined to become horse meat.

FACT: Chapter 7 trustee Bernard Natale has a penchant for asking Judge Barbosa for orders granting him compensation after he objects to or revokes the discharge of debts.

FACT: In bankruptcy case number 99-50372, Chapter 7 trustee Bernard Natale objected to the discharge of debts. The Debtor motioned to dismiss his bankruptcy petition. Judge Barbosa entered an order that he would allow the Debtor to dismiss his bankruptcy petition if he paid Bernard Natale $1,800 for compensation. With the order, Bernard Natale filed a lien on the Debtor's home.

FACT: In adversary proceedings 02-07016; 02-07018; and 02-07019, Judge Manuel Barbosa received pleadings from three non-debtors alleging that trustee Bernard Natale is using the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for his personal vendettas and attempting to extort money from them, although he has objected to the discharge of debts in the case. Judge Barbosa struck all three motions.

REPORTED: That trustee Bernard Natale sent demand letters to the three non-debtors in the adversary proceedings noted above, in addition to five others. Three people wrote the Court asking what authority did Bernard Natale have to threaten them with court action unless they voluntarily gave him money for babysitting, living, and moving expenses paid to them by the Debtor. Trustee Bernard Natale only filed adversary proceedings against the three people that wrote the Court.

REPORTED: One individual that Trustee Bernard Natale sent a demand letter to, (but did not file an adversary proceeding against), was paid over $800 by the Debtor.

FACT: Trustee Bernard Natale administers the majority of his asset cases by making monthly payment arrangements with his victims. This means he does not have to file a Final Report until all payments are made in full.

FACT: In bankruptcy case number 99-51451, the Debtors sold their home after filing for bankruptcy. Their home sold for more than the appraised value they reported on the Schedules. The Debtors' attorney closed the sale and turned the proceeds remaining after costs of sale and the Debtor's homestead exemption, to trustee Bernard Natale. Trustee Bernard Natale then filed an adversary proceeding against the Debtors alleging that they misrepresented the appraised value of their home and in doing so, they committed bankruptcy fraud. Judge Manuel Barbosa entered an order for the Debtors to pay their homestead exemption to trustee Bernard Natale. The Debtors have been making monthly payments of approximately $550 since late 2000.

FACT: In the same case, Judge Manuel Barbosa ordered the Debtor's attorney to turn over his fee (for officiating in and closing the sale) over to Bernard Natale.

QUESTION: How can Debtor's be charged with bankruptcy fraud and fined their homestead exemption for turning over money from the sale of their home to trustee Bernard Natale?

FACT: In bankruptcy case Number 00-70111, trustee Bernard Natale revoked the discharge of debts for a Debtor that did not give the trustee his $3,500 income tax return. Trustee Bernard Natale documents in his Motion to Abandon Interest that "the debtor is a party of limited means."

FACT: In bankruptcy case number 00-71927, trustee Bernard Natale instructed the ex-husband to stop paying his Circuit Court decreed maintenance to his ex-wife that had filed for bankruptcy. The Debtor's attorney pleaded with Judge Manuel Barbosa to either order the ex-husband to obey the orders of Circuit Court, or order the trustee to remove his "personal objection." Judge Manuel Barbosa denied the motion.

FACT: Trustee Bernard Natale asked Judge Manuel Barbosa to enter an order forbidding the Debtor from going to Circuit Court, citing that she was in contempt of the automatic stay. Judge Barbosa entered the order.

FACT: After withholding alimony for several months, in attempt to justify that the Debtor did not need it, attorney Craig Willette, representing trustee Bernard Natale, asked the Debtor how she was paying her bills. The Debtor testified that she was paying her bills late, incurring late charges. In addition, she had not been able to pay her property taxes.

FACT: Acting as attorney for trustee Bernard Natale, Craig Willette wrote the Debtor's attorney and asked for a settlement of $100,000 from the Debtor, in which $8,000 would be for his compensation, or he would object to her discharge of debts. The letter included threats of presenting the alimony as a "divorce settlement" although the divorce decree clearly states it is maintenance/alimony. The trustee planned to get testimony from the ex-husband and other witnesses to support his change of definitions. In addition, he threatened to succeed in the case by claiming the Debtor didn't need alimony since she testified to paying her bills without it, (conveniently disregarding testimony that the Debtor was paying her bills late, and was not able to pay her property taxes without the alimony).

FACT: In bankruptcy case number 98-53581, Judge Manuel Barbosa documented in his Memorandum Opinion that he held a trial to give the debtors a "second bite at the apple."