A married couple from New Bedford was sentenced in federal court in Boston on July 23 for defrauding clients through their business, BL Insurance Brokerage, LLC. Brendan Lawler, 59, and Lisa Lawler, 46, received eight months in prison and three years of supervised release. The court also ordered restitution to be determined at a later date. In March 2026, the Lawlers pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud after being charged by criminal complaint in August 2025.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, from March 2023 through March 2024 the Lawlers solicited and collected insurance payments from clients that should have been paid to insurance providers but instead used the funds for personal purposes. To conceal their actions and continue operating BL Insurance Brokerage, they used new client funds to pay balances owed to other clients’ insurers. The couple also created and distributed false insurance documents suggesting that clients were covered when they were not.
In total, authorities said the scheme defrauded at least 50 individuals or insurance providers and resulted in more than $962,000 stolen from customers, insurers, premium finance companies and hard money lenders.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Ted E. Docks of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Boston Division announced the sentencing. Assistance was provided by the Massachusetts Division of Insurance and Insurance Fraud Bureau. Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan Cleary prosecuted the case.
The U.S. Attorney for the District of Massachusetts is a component of the United States Department of Justice with over 200 attorneys and staff serving residents statewide; it enforces federal laws including civil rights protections through facilities located at Boston’s John Joseph Moakley United States Federal Courthouse as well as branch offices in Springfield and Worcester, according to its official website.