SPOKANE, Wash. — The ringleader of a multimillion-dollar insurance fraud scheme was sentenced in Spokane Federal Court Thursday to 12 years of federal prison followed by three years of supervised release.
On top of the sentencing, William Oldham Mize was also ordered to pay over $6.6 million in restitution to insurance companies and $426,999 in restitution to the IRS.
According to court documents, Mize was the ringleader of an insurance fraud scheme that intentionally caused car crashes, boat crashes and staged home “accidents” so he could file fake insurance claims and collect the payouts.
The schemes happened between 2013 and 2018 in both Washington and Nevada. Mize received most of the over $6 million received by the insurance claims.
The U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington said over $2 million in assets were seized from Mize and his co-conspirators. This included multiple homes, cars, boats and cash.
Mize first appeared in federal court in January of 2019. After that first appearance, he was released and fled from law enforcement supervision in July of that year. As a fugitive, he lived under multiple false identities.
On November 28, 2023, Mize was arrested in Jacksonville, Florida after investigators learned he was using a false identity to try and sell a yacht in the area.
In August of this year, Mize pled guilty to conspiracy, tax fraud, and failure to appear in Spokane Federal Court.
“For many years Mr. Mize recruited, directed, and elaborately staged automobile and boat collisions as well as other injury accidents to fraudulently obtain millions of dollars. Not only did this scheme cause serious physical harm to his co-conspirators, including his wife and children, but it placed the community in significant danger. Furthermore, Mr. Mize defrauded the public out of more than $400,000 by cheating on his taxes. When indicted by prosecutors in my office, Mr. Mize fled, to avoid accountability for his crimes,” stated U.S. Attorney Vanessa Waldref.
“Mr. Mize endangered his family and the public for money,” said Adam Jobes, Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation’s Seattle Field Office. “As long as money is a motivation for crime, we will assist our law enforcement partners with investigations like this one.”
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