MADISON, Wis. (WFRV) – A 57-year-old Wisconsin man was sentenced to three years of probation for trying to conceal a replica ‘Dukes of Hazzard’ car from the U.S. Bankruptcy Trustee.

According to a release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Wisconsin, Minocqua native Bruce Polczynski was sentenced by Judge James Peterson to three years of probation and a $1,000 fine for bankruptcy fraud.

Polczynski plead guilty to the charge on March 31 and admitted he lied to the U.S. Bankruptcy Trustee about assets so they would not be used to pay creditors. Specifically, Polczynski lied to conceal a 1969 Dodge Charger replica of the General Lee vehicle from the Dukes of Hazzard television show. He also withheld a 1979 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am.

U.S. Attorney O’Shea noted that Polczynski’s deception was quickly discovered, and the vehicles were sold to pay creditors.

“Polczynski’s story, where he was quickly stripped of the assets he tried to hide, suffered the embarrassment of federal prosecution, and received a felony conviction, is a compelling cautionary tale for anyone considering bankruptcy fraud.”

According to Judge Peterson, while three years of probation was the “just sentence” given Polczynski’s health and financial circumstances, a prison term may be required in other bankruptcy fraud cases to “amplify” the general deterrence message. 

The charge against Polczynski was the result of an investigation conducted by the Office of the United States Trustee and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.