The Region : Agent Indicted in Insurance Fraud Case

A former insurance agent was indicted by a federal grand jury on charges he defrauded his company of $1.1 million by collecting death benefits that were based on phony death certificates he and a fellow insurance agent allegedly forged. William Ekaireb, 68, of Los Angeles was indicted on 15 counts of mail fraud and interstate transportation of stolen property taken by fraud because the checks were mailed from Chicago to Los Angeles. Charges were filed by the U.S. attorney’s office against Ekaireb and Morris Levine, 61, of North Hollywood. Ekaireb recently retired from United Insurance Co. of America, and Levine was working as an agent for the company when he was arrested. Investigators said the two men submitted forged death certificates, then had checks, made out to the beneficiaries, sent to addresses they controlled. More than 300 phony claims dating back to 1975 have been discovered, they said.