Guy G. Gebhardt has been appointed by Attorney General Eric Holder as Acting U.S. Trustee for Region 21, which includes Florida, Georgia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, effective January 12, 2013. Gebhardt replaces Donald F. Walton, who is retiring after 25 years with the U.S. Trustee Program (USTP), including the past four and a half as U.S. Trustee.
Gebhardt has served since 1991 as the Assistant U.S. Trustee in the Atlanta office. He has participated in numerous working groups to implement USTP priorities that include coordinating national enforcement against identity theft and unlawful “foreclosure rescue” operations, tracking and reporting civil enforcement activities, and streamlining field office operations. He was a recipient of the Director’s Award for Exemplary Service in November 2002 for his longstanding contributions to the USTP.
Before joining the USTP, Gebhardt practiced law in Atlanta for 17 years. He received his undergraduate degree cum laude from Illinois Wesleyan University in Bloomington, Illinois, and earned his law degree at Vanderbilt after serving in the U.S. Army.
The USTP is a component of the Department of Justice that monitors the conduct of bankruptcy parties and private estate trustees, oversees related administrative functions, and acts to ensure compliance with applicable laws and procedures. While the USTP’s primary role is to serve as the “watchdog over the bankrupcy process,” it also identifies and helps investigate bankruptcy fraud and abuse in coordination with U.S. Attorneys, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and other law enforcement agencies.
The USTP has 21 regions and 95 field offices. Region 21 is headquartered in Atlanta with additional offices in Macon and Savannah, Georgia; Miami, Orlando, Tallahassee and Tampa, Florida; and San Juan, Puerto Rico.
