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Ex-Mets Player Dykstra Indicted on Bankruptcy Fraud Charges

Ex-Mets Player Dykstra Indicted on Bankruptcy Fraud Charges

Lenny Dykstra, the former Major League Baseball player accused of removing, destroying and selling property from his $18.5 million mansion after filing for bankruptcy in 2009, was charged with fraud in an indictment.

Dykstra, 48, a former Philadelphia Phillies and New York Mets outfielder, looted his Sherwood Estates mansion in Thousand Oaks, California, lied to the bankruptcy trustee about who stripped it, and denied selling items owned by the bankruptcy estate, according to the grand jury indictment issued yesterday.

A lawyer for the bankruptcy trustee has estimated Dykstra stole or destroyed property worth more than $400,000, U.S. Attorney Andre Birotte in Los Angeles said in an e-mailed statement.

According to the indictment, Dykstra lied about sconces, an oven, chandeliers and gold fixtures that he had removed from his mansion and sold. The indictment replaces a criminal complaint filed April 13 by prosecutors in federal court in Los Angeles.

If convicted, Dykstra could face as long as five years in prison, according to the statement.

Mark Werksman, a lawyer representing Dykstra in the criminal case, didn’t immediately return a call seeking comment yesterday.

Dykstra, known as “Nails,” joined the Mets in 1985 and helped the team win the World Series the following year. He played for the Philadelphia Phillies from 1989 to 1996.

1993 Season

The outfielder finished second to Barry Bonds in National League Most Valuable Player Award voting in 1993, when the Phillies reached the World Series to face the Toronto Blue Jays. Dykstra had a career batting average of .285, with 81 home runs and 404 runs batted in, according to baseball-reference.com.

Dykstra filed for bankruptcy protection under Chapter 11 in July 2009 in Woodland Hills, California. He said in court filings that he bought his house for $17.4 million from Wayne Gretzky, the Hall of Fame hockey star who played for teams including the Edmonton Oilers and the Los Angeles Kings.

A trustee was appointed in September 2009 and Dykstra’s case was converted in October 2009 to a liquidation under Chapter 7.

In bankruptcy filings, Dykstra listed assets of $24.6 million and debt of $37.1 million. His debt includes $12.9 million owed to JPMorgan Chase & Co.

The case is U.S. v. Dykstra, 11-00788, U.S. District Court, Central District of California (Los Angeles). The bankruptcy case is In re Lenny Kyle Dykstra, 09-18409, U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Central District of California (San Fernando Valley).