A federal grand jury in Charlotte returned an indictment yesterday charging a North Carolina person with masterminding and directing a significant scheme to deceive condition insurance policies regulators and defraud hundreds of policyholders and other folks in link with coverage companies he managed.
In accordance to court files, from no later on than 2016 by means of at the very least 2019, Greg E. Lindberg, 53, of Durham, and other people allegedly agreed to defraud numerous insurance corporations, other third functions, and in the end, hundreds of insurance coverage policyholders. Lindberg allegedly deceived the North Carolina Department of Insurance and other regulators, evaded regulatory specifications intended to secure policyholders, hid the true economical issue of his coverage organizations, and improperly used coverage organization cash for his personal gain. In unique, the indictment alleges that Lindberg personally benefitted from the fraud in aspect by employing insurance policy organization cash to finance his lavish way of living, which includes the order and refinancing of private true estate and “forgiving” additional than $125 million in loans from his affiliated organizations to himself.
“Policyholders depend on insurance organization proprietors to comply with the procedures so that the gains they should have and depend on will be accessible when needed,” explained Assistant Legal professional Typical Kenneth A. Well mannered, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Felony Division. “In this alleged $2 billion scheme, the defendant defrauded regulators and policyholders alike, triggering considerable fiscal damage to 1000’s of victims. As this prosecution demonstrates, no issue how complex the scheme, the office will maintain accountable company executives whose crimes go away policyholders holding the bag when lining their personal pockets.”
The charged perform allegedly triggered substantial monetary hardship to the victims. Lindberg allegedly triggered the insurance policy organizations to have interaction in investments of almost $2 billion as section of his plan, most of which remained excellent as of September 2022. Given that 2019, multiple coverage corporations controlled by Lindberg have been put into rehabilitation or liquidation.
“The indictment reveals a carefully orchestrated scheme that relied on a website of advanced financial investments and transactions intended to evade regulators, disguise the monetary wellness of Lindberg’s insurance policies businesses, and conceal the alleged goal of the scheme: Lindberg’s particular obtain,” stated U.S. Lawyer Dena J. King for the Western District of North Carolina. “My office environment will go on to operate with our legislation enforcement associates to look into and prosecute fiscal wrongdoing and keep perpetrators accountable for their steps.”
“People obtain insurance coverage products to give consolation and safety. Even so, this indictment alleges this was a advanced and intricate plan developed for one particular purpose, to profit Lindberg,” claimed Performing Special Agent in Charge Michael C. Scherck of the FBI Charlotte Area Business office. “The FBI is unwavering in our endeavours to maintain people accountable who commit federal monetary crimes.”
Lindberg is billed with just one rely of conspiracy to dedicate crimes in relationship with insurance plan business enterprise, wire fraud, and investment decision adviser fraud a single depend of wire fraud four counts of phony insurance business statements introduced to regulators 6 counts of untrue entries about the financial situation or solvency of an insurance plan enterprise and a person count of funds laundering conspiracy. If convicted, he faces a most penalty of 20 decades in prison on each individual of the prime counts.
In December 2022, just one of Lindberg’s top executives, Christopher Herwig, pleaded guilty in a related case to conspiring with Lindberg and many others to commit wire fraud, financial commitment advisor fraud, and income laundering, as properly as to the creating of untrue statements in the enterprise of insurance policy.
Individually, Lindberg stays below indictment and is awaiting retrial in a scenario in which he faces quite a few expenses stemming from alleged makes an attempt to bribe the Commissioner of the North Carolina Department of Insurance policy.
The FBI Charlotte Discipline Office environment is investigating the scenario.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Ryan for the Western District of North Carolina and Trial Legal professional Lyndie Freeman of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Portion are prosecuting the case.
If you believe that you are a target in this scenario, make sure you get in touch with the Fraud Section’s Target Witness Device toll-free of charge at (888) 549-3945 or by e mail at [email protected]. You are also inspired to stop by our webpage for this situation at https://www.justice.gov/legal-vns/case/united-states-v-greg-e-lindberg.
