Corona, CA: Former baseball star Lenny Dykstra sentenced in federal bankruptcy case

Lenny Dykstra, the former New York Mets outfielder who became a successful self-taught investor, was sentenced Monday to 6 1/2 months in federal custody following bankruptcy fraud and other federal charges, authorities announced Monday.

Dykstra, 49, faced 20 years in prison but prosecutors recommended 2 1/2 years following his guilty plea to three felony counts -- bankruptcy fraud, concealment of assets and money laundering, according to U.S. Attorney spokesman Thom Mrozek.

Dykstra is already serving a three-year state prison sentence after pleading no contest in July to grand theft auto in a separate case.

Corona, CA: Lenny Dykstra -- No Luck with Bail, Still Stuck in Jail

Lenny Dykstra struck out again -- because TMZ has learned, the judge refused to lower his $50,000 bail and the Hollywood producer that was supposed to bail him out didn't have enough cash on hand to cover the bill.

As we previously reported, producer Jonathan Heap showed up to court today in L.A. -- where he expected the judge to lower Lenny's bail amount -- but the judge refused to budge ... demanding the full $50,000 to spring Lenny from the pokey.

We're told Heap was banking on the judge to lower his number -- and didn't bring enough cash to cover the original bail amount.

Heap tells TMZ, he's still committed to freeing Lenny -- and will come up with the extra cash this weekend ... to bail out Lenny next week.

Fingers crossed.

Corona, CA: Dykstra Charged -- Cocaine, Ecstasy and HGH Found

Lenny Dykstra was just formally charged with multiple felonies, including possession of cocaine and Ecstasy ... which were found in his home when LAPD officers arrested him.

The L.A. County District Attorney is accusing Dykstra of committing 23 felonies and misdemeanors. As TMZ first reported the alleged crimes include auto theft, identity theft, filing false financial statements ... and possession of controlled substances.

The D.A. says police found coke, Ecstasy, as well as Somatropin -- a synthetic human growth hormone -- in the former major leaguer's home while executing a search warrant on April 14.

Law enforcement sources tell us it was a small amount of coke and Ecstasy for "personal use" ... not distribution.

Dykstra's accountant and a friend were also charged -- and all three are scheduled to be arraigned later today. The D.A. will ask that bail be set at $500,000 for each party.

If found guilty of all charges ... Dykstra faces up to 12 years in state prison.

Aside from this arrest .. Dykstra is also under indictment for a federal bankruptcy fraud charge.

Corona, CA: Lenny Dykstra - Limo Driver Dishes on Deceitful Dykstra

Lenny Dykstra Took Advantage of Help According to Limo Driver

Lenny Dykstra had all the answers. He took started a jet charter company and magazine dedicated to financial advice for athletes.

It seems that the man nicknamed "Nails" needed some advice of his own. Dykstra has since been arrested for a Federal bankruptcy crime and embezzlement. He can add one irate limo driver to the list of people he has angered over the years.

Dykstra is a taker. He accepted gifts without the least bit of thought about repaying his debts. All of this according to his former limo driver.

That driver sat down recently with RotoExperts.com Managing Director, Scott Engel recently for an interview. Engel refers to the driver as Jerry, as he hopes to remain anonymous. The full interview can be read here.

Jerry was a huge Mets fan. By relation, that made him a huge Lenny Dykstra fan. Engel describes how the two met.

Jerry estimates it was the month of May in 2009 when he saw Dykstra standing on the corner of Third Avenue in the high 40s, hailing a cab. Jerry instantly recognized Dykstra and pulled over, offering to take him anywhere he wanted to go. Jerry and Dykstra instantly hit it off, and Dykstra then asked Jerry to run him to various places around town for approximately five days.

Dykstra would run up a $1,000 bill and proceed to pay Jerry with a $100 bill and a credit card number. The number was declined a few days later.

The number belonged to his assistant that only slightly vouched for Dykstra when Jerry confronted her about the declined card.

Jerry then picked up Dykstra up at the airport in 2009. Nails was joined by a lady friend at the time. Again, the card Dykstra used would later be declined. Lenny was passing off "associates" cards as his own. Hardly the practice of a financial adviser.

Jerry continued to drive Dykstra around hoping beyond hope that his hero would straighten out. He never did. Jerry would lose thousands as he drove Dykstra around town and fed him leftovers from his own home.

We all think that Lenny hit rock bottom recently when he was finally arrested. It seems he had been meandering in some lowly depths well before that. Jerry knows all too well now that childhood heroes are human, nothing more.

They can be just as deceitful as a stranger walking down the street. Lenny is a man that could not let the high life go. He was going to cheat and borrow to keep his image alive, and he hurt so many people in the process.

Corona, CA: Dykstra Investigated Over Naked Massage Claim

More legal trouble for Lenny Dykstra -- and this time it's all because the former MLB star allegedly got NAKED and requested a massage from a woman he was interviewing to be his housekeeper.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... the LAPD is investigating Dykstra for lewd conduct ... stemming from allegations made by a 47-year-old woman who claims she answered a Craigslist ad to be Lenny's housekeeper earlier this month.

The woman told police ... when she arrived to the home, Dykstra explained that she wouldn't just have to clean the home, she would also be required to give him massages as well.

The woman claimed Dykstra then took off all of his clothes and told the woman he wouldn't be able to hire her without first sampling her skills. Smooth.

We're told the woman denied his request ... left the home immediately ... flagged down a nearby cop ... and filed a police report. She also locked down a high power attorney, Mauro Fiore Jr., to handle the case.

Attempts to reach Dykstra were unsuccessful.

Corona, CA: Lenny Dykstra Arrested -- Charged with Embezzlement

MLB legend Lenny Dykstra was arrested at his home in Encino, CA last night after being targeted by the feds for allegedly embezzling more than $400k from his bankrupt estate ... TMZ has learned.

According to the U.S. Attorney in L.A. ... 48-year-old Dykstra was arrested by local authorities and later charged with one felony count of embezzling from a bankruptcy estate.

Officials claim Dykstra -- who filed for bankruptcy in 2009 -- "stole and destroyed more than $400,000 worth of property in the estate."

FYI -- Dykstra is not legally allowed to sell off any of the items that make up the bankruptcy estate. The property must only be used to pay off debts to creditors and all transactions must be initiated by a court-appointed trustee.

According to the criminal complaint -- Dykstra loaded up a ton of his expensive personal items into a U-Haul truck -- including furnishings and fixtures -- and sold them to an L.A. consignment store.

Officials say Dykstra was also trying to discretely sell some of the estate's property on eBay and Craigslist ... including sports memorabilia.

Dykstra is also accused of ripping out a $50,000 sink from his $18 million L.A. area mansion ... and installing it in his office in Camarillo.

If convicted, Dykstra faces up to five years in federal prison.

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