Maureen Wilson, $20M Insurance Fraud, Maryland 2023

Baltimore, Maryland - A federal jury has convicted a Maryland woman for conspiracy to commit insurance fraud, and related charges for wire fraud, money laundering, and filing false tax returns.

According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Maureen Wilson, 77, of Owings Mills, conspired with her husband James Wilson to defraud insurance companies by obtaining more than 40 life insurance policies for applicants by mispresenting their health, wealth, and existing life insurance coverage. The total death benefits from these policies exceeded $20 million. Wilson also conspired to defraud individual investors to obtain funds that she used to pay premiums on fraudulently obtained life insurance policies.

After obtaining the policies, Maureen and James Wilson used forged signatures to make themselves, and other nominees they controlled, the owners and beneficiaries of the life insurance policies. Maureen Wilson also impersonated other people when speaking with the life insurance companies.

Maureen Wilson and her husband concealed the fraud by transferring the money they made from the fraud through multiple bank accounts, including accounts in the name of trusts. She also filed false individual income tax returns for 2018 and 2019, which did not report as income the approximately $5.7 million and $2 million, respectively she made from her fraud.

Maureen Wilson was convicted of one count of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, four counts of mail fraud, two counts of wire fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, one count of money laundering and two counts of filing a false return. She was acquitted of one count of mail fraud.

Sentencing is scheduled for June 20. Maureen Wilson faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for each count of conspiracy, wire fraud, mail fraud, and money laundering; and a maximum penalty of three years in prison for each count of filing a false tax return. A federal district court judge determines sentencing after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The case was investigated by the IRS Criminal Investigation, with assistance from the Maryland Insurance Administration and the Maryland Office of the Attorney General. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew Phelps and Philip Motsay, and Trial Attorneys Shawn Noud and Richard Kelley, Justice Tax Division, are prosecuting the case.

For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.

Defendant:

Maureen Wilson

Crime:

Conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, four counts of mail fraud, two counts of wire fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, one count of money laundering, and two counts of filing a false return

City and state:

Baltimore, Maryland

Date:

Not specified

Sentence or outcome:

Sentencing scheduled for June 20

Dollar amounts:

$20 million in death benefits from life insurance policies

$5.7 million and $2 million in unreported income from 2018 and 2019, respectively

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/pr/maryland-woman-convicted-20m-insurance-fraud-scheme