06/23/2009

News / Maryland Man Sentenced for $535 Million Surety Bond Fraud Reaching Florida and Beyond

JACKSONVILLE, FL - United States Attorney A. Brian Albritton announces that U.S. District Judge Marcia Morales Howard today sentenced William Raymond Miller (age 37, of Clarksville, Maryland) to 10 years and one month in federal prison for mail fraud and wire fraud. The court also ordered a personal money judgment of $22 million against Miller, and Miller forfeited to the United States several pieces of real estate-- including his residence in Maryland and a condominium in Panama City, Florida -- a sports bar in Clarksville, Maryland, vehicles, computer equipment seized during a search of Miller's business in March 2008, and funds from various seized bank accounts. Miller had pleaded guilty on December 8, 2008.

According to the plea agreement, from 2005 until April 2008 Miller used several corporations to sell fraudulent surety bonds on construction projects throughout the United States. Some of the construction projects were for United States government entities, including the Federal Aviation Administration, the United States Navy, and the Army Corps of Engineers. Miller made it appear that he was issuing the surety bonds in the name of legitimate insurers, including Fidelity National Property and Casualty Company (a division of Fidelity National Financial Incorporated, which is headquartered in Jacksonville). Miller issued bonds with a face value of more than $535 million and received premium payments of more than $22.5 million during the course of the fraud.

U.S. Attorney Albritton stated: "White Collar criminals like Mr. Miller are finding out that stealing money by fraud is no different from robbing a bank. You are going to go to prison. I commend the agencies that crossed state lines and worked together to uncover this scheme."

New York State Insurance Superintendent Eric Dinallo said: "This investigation is a great example of how state and federal authorities worked together to solve a complex insurance fraud scheme and bring a perpetrator to justice. The New York State Insurance Department will continue its efforts to aggressively combat all forms of insurance fraud, and the Department appreciates the work of the U.S. Attorney's Office of the Middle District of Florida in pursuing this case."

This case was investigated by the FBI, Jacksonville Field Office, the Department of Defense Criminal Investigative Service, and the United States Army Criminal Investigation Command, which were assisted by the Florida Department of Financial Services, the New York State Insurance Department, and the Maryland Insurance Administration. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Russell C. Stoddard and Bonnie A. Glober.

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