Alexandria man indicted for concealing assets and making false statements in bankruptcy case

Date: Aug. 11, 2026

Contact: newsroom@ci.irs.gov

Alexandria – On Aug. 5, 2026, a federal grand jury returned an indictment charging Edward Joseph Sieja of Alexandria with multiple counts of Concealing Assets in Bankruptcy Filings, Making False Statements Under Penalty of Perjury, and Perjury. Sieja faces up to 35 years in federal prison if convicted on all counts.

“Bankruptcy laws are meant to provide honest, good-faith debtors a fresh start—not to be exploited by those who seek to hide assets and deceive the court,” said United States Attorney Zachary A. Keller. “We will aggressively pursue individuals who attempt to abuse and manipulate our bankruptcy system for personal gain.”

According to court documents, Sieja filed a Chapter 7 bankruptcy petition on Aug. 24, 2021, seeking a discharge of more than $3.5 million in debt. The indictment alleges that before and during the bankruptcy process, Sieja concealed the transfer and purchase of multiple properties in Alexandria using undisclosed commission income from construction contracts he performed for Louisiana companies. These properties were purchased in the name of another individual, but Sieja allegedly arranged the transactions, provided the funds, and did not disclose any of them to the bankruptcy court. The indictment further alleges that Sieja failed to disclose significant assets and income, including bank accounts at two financial institutions, over $1 million in gross income, various other business interests, and the donation of a vehicle valued at $28,000.

Despite these omissions, Sieja allegedly declared under penalty of perjury that his filings were true and correct and then reaffirmed those statements under oath. The indictment charges that these actions demonstrate a deliberate effort to deceive the bankruptcy trustee, conceal assets from creditors, and unlawfully obtain a bankruptcy discharge.

U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Keller for the Western District of Louisiana made the announcement.

IRS – Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and U.S. Trustee Program (USTP) investigated the case. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Earl M. Campbell and Amy J. Miller with assistance from Legal Assistant Stephanie Stewart.

IRS-CI is the law enforcement arm of the IRS, responsible for conducting financial crime investigations, including tax fraud, narcotics trafficking, money laundering, public corruption, healthcare fraud, identity theft and more. It is the only federal law enforcement agency with investigative jurisdiction over violations of the Internal Revenue Code. IRS-CI has 16 field offices located across the U.S. and maintains an international presence through attaché posts abroad.