MARYLAND MAN ENTERS GUILTY PLEAS TO $535 MILLION SURETY BOND FRAUD

Jacksonville, Florida - United State Attorney A. Brian Albritton today announced that William Raymond Miller, a 37-year-old resident of Clarksville, Maryland, pleaded guilty to mail fraud and wire fraud charges in connection with a surety bond insurance fraud scheme Miller engaged in from 2005 through April 2008. Miller faces up to 40 years' imprisonment, a $500,000 fine, and a six-year term of supervised release.

According to the plea agreement, Miller used several businesses to sell fraudulent surety bonds on construction projects throughout the United States. Some of the construction projects were for United States governmental entities, including the Federal Aviation Administration, the United States Navy, and the Army Corps of Engineers. On numerous occasions, Miller made it appear that he was issuing the bonds in the names of legitimate insurers, including Fidelity National Property and Casualty Company, a division of Fidelity National Financial Incorporated, which is headquartered in Jacksonville. The plea agreement states that Miller issued surety bonds with a face value of over $535 million and received premium payments of over $22.5 million during the course of the fraud.

In the plea agreement, Miller agreed to forfeit to the United States $22.5 million, several pieces of real estate, including his residence in Maryland and a condominium in Panama City, Florida; a sports bar in Clarksville, Maryland; numerous vehicles and computer equipment seized by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) during a search of Miller's business in March of 2008, and funds from various bank accounts also seized by the FBI.

The case was investigated by the FBI, Jacksonville Field Office, the Department of Defense Criminal Investigative Service, and the United States Army Criminal Investigation Command. The investigation was assisted by the Florida Department of Financial Services, the New York State Insurance Department, and the Maryland Insurance Administration.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Russell C. Stoddard and Bonnie A. Glober.