Fleeing Florida Title Insurance Agents Accused Of Ripping Off $10M+ From Escrow Accounts Bagged In Colorado After 30 Months On The Lam

In Durango, Colorado, The Palm Beach Post reports:

• Accused of stealing $10 million from clients of their title insurance company, Roger and Peggy Gamblin spent more than two years running from the FBI before agents cornered them [...] at a hospital in Durango, Colo. The couple, who mysteriously vanished in May 2008,(1) were taken into federal custody and most likely will be returned to Florida to face charges of conspiracy and wire and mail fraud.

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• In an eight-count superseding indictment handed up in October 2009, a federal grand jury charged the Gamblins with financing their lifestyle with stolen money. The indictment said the couple raided client escrow accounts reserved for buying houses or paying off mortgages and used the money to pay business and personal bills.

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• Underwriters for Flagler Title, which now is in receivership, won lawsuits against the Gamblins' company in August, and a judge ordered the couple to pay the underwriters, Lawyers Title Insurance and Chicago Title Insurance Company, more than $10.2 million.

• In Durango, the Gamblins indicated they were short on cash. [...] Roger and Peggy Gamblin asked for, and were granted, a court appointed attorney, a move reserved for people who can't afford to hire their own lawyers.

For the story, see Title firm's owners, missing for 2 years, captured in Colorado.

(1) See The Palm Beach Post:

• Millions missing at title company (Before his disappearance plunged employees and customers of one of Florida's largest independent title companies into chaos [...], Flagler Title founder Roger Gamblin dipped into millions of dollars his company held in escrow for clients, according to testimony),
• Title firm owner had been fined.