Amy Guzman’s son, Lance Cpl Kyle Guzman was just 21 years old when he died in a U.S. Marine Corps training accident in November 2007. Just a day after Lance Cpl Guzman’s funeral, Raymond Brogan, 43, persuaded her to hand over control of the Iraq War veteran’s life insurance payout to him.
Raymond Brogan told Joyce Guzman that he would take care of her bills and invest the money for her – but instead Brogan, along with this accomplice Robert Brogan, 63 went on to induce her to sign fraudulent checks, forging her name on others.
Widow Tricked into Signing Away Son’s Life Insurance
Raymond Brogan was the boyfriend of Mrs. Guzman’s half-sister Carol Ann Damico, aged 35. Both of them manipulated the grieving mom into signing a power of attorney favoring Brogan – and two days later the pair signed an addendum which designated the couple’s address as the one to send the life policy benefits to.
Raymond Brogan had an accomplice in the fraud, his uncle, Robert Brogan and both were jailed by US District Judge Morrison C England Jr. – Robert Brogan to three years and one month, and Raymond Brogan to two years and nine months. The judge, in a rare move, rejected a plea bargain by Robert Brogan and his lawyers, which would have reduced his sentence. R. Steven Lapham, top prosecuting lawyer and John Manning, a renowned defense lawyer argued that Robert Brogan was simply a ‘conduit’ for the money laundering operation. They also stated that he had given ‘substantial’ assistance to the government’ in a criminal case.
Judge Morrison admitted Life Insurance Case had Troubled Him
But Judge Morrison, although he admitted that the case had promoted a ‘very visceral emotional response’ in him, believed that Robert Brogan was just as culpable of the crime and therefore there should be no diminution of the sentence.
Both Brogans have been ordered to pay back the stolen life insurance benefits to Joyce Guzman of Burney, Shasta County.
In the case, in which more than $200,000 of life insurance was stolen, charges against Carol Ann Damico who was originally implicated were dropped.
Source: Insurancenews. Net and McClathy-Tribune Information Services Jan 2011
photo credit: hectorir