U.S. Attorney Vanessa R. Waldref | U.S. Department of Justice
William Oldham Mize has been sentenced to 12 years in federal prison for orchestrating a multimillion-dollar fraud scheme involving false insurance claims. United States District Judge Thomas O. Rice also ordered Mize to pay $6,657,209 in restitution to insurance companies and $436,399 to the IRS, alongside three years of supervised release.
Mize led a large-scale operation between 2013 and 2018 that involved staged automobile and boat collisions, as well as fabricated home accidents, to file fraudulent insurance claims. The scheme primarily took place in Washington and Nevada, generating over $6 million in proceeds, most of which were retained by Mize. Authorities have seized more than $2 million in assets from Mize and his co-conspirators, which has been returned to victims.
After being indicted on January 9, 2019, Mize was released pending trial but fled supervision in July 2019. He lived under false identities until U.S. Marshals apprehended him on November 28, 2023, while attempting to sell a yacht in Jacksonville, Florida.
U.S. Attorney Vanessa Waldref stated: “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." She expressed gratitude for the efforts of the U.S. Marshals Service who located Mize.
Assistant United States Attorney Dan Fruchter praised the "exceptional investigative work" by agents from the FBI, IRS, and U.S. Marshals Service that contributed to this outcome.
Gregory L. Austin from the FBI’s Seattle field office highlighted how Mize enriched himself at others' expense: “Mr. Mize spent years living off the misery he caused.”
Adam Jobes from IRS Criminal Investigation noted that despite being motivated by money: “We will assist our law enforcement partners with investigations like this one.”
Craig Thayer from the U.S. Marshals Service remarked on the collaborative efforts among various agencies that led to Mize's arrest: “Judge Rice has now made Mize accountable with today’s sentence and order for restitution.”
The case was investigated by multiple agencies including the FBI and IRS with Assistant United States Attorneys Dan Fruchter, Jeremy J. Kelley, and Brian M. Donovan prosecuting.
