Mansfield Man Sentenced For $1 Million Insurance Fraud

Mansfield, Ohio – A ruthless act of financial betrayal has landed Willard C. Lee, 52, behind bars for nearly four years. The Northern District of Ohio’s United States Attorney, Steven M. Dettelbach, announced the sentence today.

Lee, a former employee of Allstate Insurance Company, pleaded guilty to 12 counts of wire fraud and one count of insurance embezzlement. His scheme, which ran from July 2007 to December 2011, involved siphoning off approximately $1 million from customer annuity accounts.

The fraudulent withdrawals were executed through forged signatures on withdrawal requests to Allstate and Lincoln Benefit Life, a subsidiary of Allstate that sells annuities. The proceeds were then funneled into bank accounts Lee controlled in Mansfield, according to court documents.

U.S. District Judge Sara Lioi handed down a 46-month prison term and ordered Lee to pay $1,052,559.80 in restitution to Allstate, along with an additional $1,300.00 special assessment.

This case was brought to justice by Assistant U.S. Attorney James V. Moroney, who prosecuted the charges. The investigation was a collaborative effort between the Mansfield and Canton offices of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Investigative Services Unit of Allstate Insurance Company.

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