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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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