Christopher M. Bland, a local business owner in Bixby, has pleaded guilty to a wire fraud charge that resulted from an investigation by the Oklahoma Insurance Department’s Anti-Fraud Unit. Bland was indicted with 14 counts of wire fraud and 12 counts of making false statements to a financial institution earlier this year on January 11th. In March, an updated version added six counts of aggravated identity theft.
In his plea agreement, Bland admitted that he devised an insurance fraud scheme to defraud Colonial Life & Accident Insurance Company, various insurance agents, and a local bank, by taking commissions illegally and by opening bank accounts for agents without their authorization. He pleaded guilty last Wednesday to only one wire fraud count regarding a single transaction made on October 27, 2010 for $1,873.67. He did however agree as part of his guilty plea to also pay $16,656.17 in restitution for other offenses, including the 12 counts of lying to a financial institution.
United Stated District Judge John Dowdell scheduled sentencing for Bland on July 11th. The plea agreement filed calls for Bland to receive five years of probation that would feature anywhere from eight to fourteen months of home detention. He will also be expected to perform 80 hours of community service.
Christopher Bland, 36, also agreed to forfeit his insurance license to the state of Oklahoma and to never apply for an insurance license from another state.
Judge Dowdell said he would defer deciding whether to accept the plea agreement’s terms until he reviews the pre-sentence report the United States Probation Office will produce about Bland’s case.
If you find yourself facing federal fraud charges, it is important to find an experienced wire fraud attorney to represent you. The attorneys of Parkman & White, LLC have a history of success in the court room and are ready to represent clients nationwide.
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