Former Pageant Queen Headed To Prison For Bankruptcy Fraud

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A former pageant queen from Decatur is headed to prison for 20 months for bankruptcy fraud. The U.S. Justice Department says Melissa Stamp of Decatur was sentenced today for the fraud and will also serve 20 months of probation and pay over $184,000 in restitution. Stamp is a former Apple Queen Pageant winner. Her guilty plea was the result of hiding money in connection with her husband filing personal bankruptcy in 2012 as their two agribusinesses, Stamp Farms LLC and Northstar Grain LLC, defaulted on $60 million in loans from Wells Fargo Bank. She gave $75,000 to her brother, $90,000 to her father, and hid $50,000 in a safe in her house without any of the money being declared in bankruptcy court. Federal officials say anyone holding grain, crops, cash, farm equipment or other assets related to the Stamp Farms or Michael Stamp bankruptcy case to contact the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Grand Rapids at 616-808-2144.