The Illinois Administrator has filed a complaint based on an attorney’s federal conviction.

Law360 had the story of the 2014 guilty plea

A Chicago-area lawyer pled guilty Wednesday to obstruction and tax charges in connection with a scam where he made unauthorized charges on his bankruptcy clients’ credit cards for his own use and then discharged the debts in their bankruptcies. 

Bradley F. Aubel, 49, who was suspended from practicing law by the Illinois Supreme Court last year, admitted to obstructing a federal investigation and filing a false tax return at a hearing in Chicago federal court.

U.S. District Judge Elaine E. Bucklo advised him that he faces a maximum combined penalty of eight years in prison and a $500,000 fine on the two counts. Aubel’s plea deal, however, avoided the two most serious charges alleged by the government — mail fraud and wire fraud — which carry penalties of up to 20 years in prison each.

Michael C. Goode, who represents Aubel, told Law360 after the hearing that his client is a “decent fellow, a good father and a good lawyer” who “just made a mistake.”

“He’s made a mistake, he’s acknowledged it and he’s trying to put his life back together as best he can,” Goode said.

According to prosecutors, Aubel’s scheme began to unravel after a long-time employee was arrested on identity theft charges for using a credit card belonging to one of the attorney’s clients. The employee agreed to cooperate with the FBI, detailing a variety of criminal acts she engaged in on Aubel’s behalf and turning over incriminating text messages to investigators.

Aubel admitted Wednesday to pressing the informant to plead guilty to the identity theft charge, offering to continue paying her salary and mortgage if she agreed not to reveal the credit card scheme to investigators. He also paid the informant’s sister $6,000 to leave the Chicago area for Mexico so she would be beyond the reach of circling FBI agents, according to prosecutors.

The informant, whose identity wasn’t revealed in court documents, told investigators that she helped Aubel create bogus tax returns in 2011 so he could get a loan for a new car, as the attorney hadn’t filed any returns for several years. She also admitted to creating a separate set of fake returns to help Aubel convince the U.S. Department of Education to forbear on collecting over $100,000 he owed on student loans.

Aubel was arrested in September 2012 and has remained free on $10,000 bond since that time. He will return to court for sentencing on July 11.

Aubel is represented by Michael C. Goode.

The case is U.S. v. Aubel, case number 1:12-cr-00639, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.

He was sentenced to seven months in prison. (Mike Frisch)