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The owner and operator of a Miami Lakes insurance company has pleaded guilty to a scheme to defraud a Georgia credit union out of $6 million, authorities said.
Heleonel Gonzalez, 48, pleaded guilty to bank fraud charges last week, officials with the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Georgia said.
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Prosecutors said Gonzalez, the owner and operator of Sharp Insurance Agency in Miami Lakes, orchestrated the scheme to defraud the Peach State Federal Credit Union between January 2023 and January 2024.
Gonzalez targeted a division of the credit union that loans money to commercial borrowers so they can pay premiums on property insurance policies.
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On at least 20 occasions, Gonzalez falsely represented to the credit union that his company had issued an insurance policy to a customer and the customer had authorized him to apply for a loan on their behalf.
Gonzalez claimed the loan would be used to pay the premiums on the policy but when the loans were sent out, the money was used by Gonzalez to pay personal debts and expenses, prosecutors said.
The credit union transferred around $6 million to Gonzalez during the scheme.
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“Gonzalez devised a lucrative scheme cloaked in fraud and deception to steal loan proceeds from Peach State Federal Credit Union for his personal gain,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan. “This office will continue to work closely with law enforcement to investigate and prosecute those who engage in financial crimes that jeopardize the integrity of the U.S. financial system.”
Gonzalez is scheduled to be sentenced on Feb. 20.
