Chapter 5 - Unraveling the Financial Web
Sitting in the office of Arthur Vance, the top family law and forensic litigation attorney in Boise, I laid out a thick binder of financial documents.
"He didn't just cheat, Arthur," I said, sliding the folder across his mahogany desk. "I spent the last forty-eight hours digging through our historical joint tax filings and old loan applications. Look at page fourteen."
Arthur put on his reading glasses and scanned the document. His eyebrows rose higher with every line he read.
"He forged your signature on a secondary personal loan six months ago?" Arthur asked.
"Not just a personal loan," I replied coldly. "He attempted to take out a $75,000 equity line on my house using a fraudulent power of attorney document. The bank caught the discrepancy in signatures back in November and frozen the application, but Mark hid the rejection letters in a private P.O. Box."
Arthur leaned back in his chair, tapping his pen. "Jessica, this moves way beyond a standard divorce procedure. We are looking at criminal bank fraud, identity theft, and bigamy. Because he married Melanie in Florida without filing for divorce from you in Idaho, his second marriage is legally void, but his criminal liability is very real."
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"I want everything settled cleanly, Arthur," I said firmly. "I don't want a dime of his nonexistent money. I want my name completely severed from his debt, I want a full annulment on the grounds of fraud, and I want him held legally responsible for every single cent he attempted to steal."
Arthur smiled thinly. "With this paper trail? Mark isn't just going to lose in court, Jessica. He’s going to end up in a federal prosecution file."
