No bail for Bonnie Sweeten

INQUIRER STAFF WRITER

U.S. District Judge William H. Yohn Jr. has denied Bonnie Sweeten's petition to be released on bail while she awaits trial on charges she stole more than $700,000 through a variety of frauds.

Yohn said Thursday that federal prosecutors had offered "substantial evidence that the defendant has the ability to engage in fraud and deceit, including the creation of false identification documents, such as passports, driver's licenses, court orders, and loan documents, and the diversion of funds from other individuals and entities, which abilities would enable her to flee the jurisdiction and evade detection."

Sweeten, a Bucks County mother of three, gained national attention in 2009 when she contended that she and a daughter were kidnapped by two black men. In reality, she was on her way to Florida, allegedly using a fake identity. She fled as law enforcement officials were investigating allegations that she had stolen hundreds of thousands of dollars from clients of a law firm where she worked as a paralegal.

After her arrest in Florida, she was indicted on mail fraud, wire fraud, and other charges.

Sweeten could face a 10-year jail sentence, giving her "substantial incentive to flee," Yohn wrote.

Sweeten's trial on the federal charges is scheduled for November.