Federal prosecutors filed a criminal Information on January 30, 2026, charging Brendan and Lisa Lawler with Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud, signaling that the New Bedford couple intends to plead guilty to charges stemming from the collapse of BL Insurance Brokerage, LLC. The filing of an Information—which federal prosecutors typically use instead of a grand jury indictment only when a defendant has agreed to waive their right to trial in favor of a guilty plea—sets the stage for a plea hearing scheduled for March 10, 2026.
Attorneys Targeted in Malpractice Premium Scheme
While the fraud defrauded at least 50 individuals and entities, the charging documents and state investigations reveal that the Lawlers’ primary victims were attorneys paying for professional liability (malpractice) insurance.
The agency held a significant book of legal malpractice policies, specifically serving bar-advocate lawyers who represented indigent defendants under the Committee for Public Counsel Services (CPCS). These attorneys are required to maintain continuous coverage with minimum limits to remain eligible for court assignments. By converting these premiums for personal use, the Lawlers left many attorneys unknowingly exposed to professional liability and at risk of losing their livelihoods.
Specific instances detailed in the federal Information highlight the couple’s fraud on the legal community:
Victim 9: A New Bedford law office paid $4,077 for liability coverage in September 2023. The Lawlers deposited the check into a personal Santander Bank account and spent the funds on personal expenses including TikTok, Burger King, McDonald’s, Starbucks, liquor store purchases, and a private school payment. When the attorney learned their payment had not been remitted and confronted the Lawlers in January 2024, Lisa Lawler sent a fraudulent image of a “bulk check” as proof of payment. Brendan Lawler followed up by emailing a Certificate of Insurance that did not actually evidence coverage. The attorney was forced to pay $4,175 directly to the insurer to obtain coverage, and the Lawlers never returned the original $4,077 payment.
Victim 13: An East Boston law office provided a down payment in January 2024, which the Lawlers deposited in a BL Insurance bank account. Rather than remitting the payment to the insurance company, the Lawlers transferred it to another account and used it to reimburse a different client who had paid their premium in July 2023 and was threatening to report Lisa Lawler to authorities. On February 6, 2024, Brendan Lawler falsely represented to Victim 13 that their policy was in effect, attaching a Certificate of Insurance as proof. On February 26, 2024, when Victim 13 learned their coverage was not in effect and confronted Brendan Lawler, he asked that they not report him and reimbursed them in cash.
Attorney Protective (AttPro): The legal malpractice insurer, a subsidiary of MedPro Group/Berkshire Hathaway, had entered into an Insurance Agency Agreement with BL Insurance in July 2015. According to AttPro’s civil lawsuit filed in Indiana in January 2024, the Lawlers failed to remit over $165,000 in premiums collected from attorneys. AttPro obtained a default judgment for $511,588.40, including treble damages under Indiana’s Crime Victims Relief Act.
Victim 5: A Daytona Beach, Florida insurance brokerage that obtained coverage for its clients through BL Insurance was defrauded of approximately $109,621.05 in the 2023-2024 coverage year. Lisa Lawler sent multiple fraudulent emails claiming payments had been made, including false claims that checks had been overnighted or mailed and that wire transfers had been completed.
From Abrupt Closure to Federal Charges
The federal action culminates almost two years of legal turmoil that began with the sudden closure of BL Insurance on March 1, 2024. On March 7, 2024, clients received an email from Brendan Lawler announcing that the agency was “permanently closed,” leaving policyholders scrambling to determine that their policies had been cancelled for nonpayment or to receive direct bills from insurers for premiums they had already paid to the agency.
The email stated:
“Hello,
I am emailing to infirm (sic) you that I have permanently closed BL Insurance Brokerage, LLC, effectively (sic) 3/1/24. All of your policies will be transferred to another agent or broker by the insurance company who writes your policy. If you have any questions regarding your policy or coverage, please contact the insurance company directly or the wholesale agent listed on your policy. They will be able to assist you. I would like to thank you for all of your years of patronage, it was truly appreciated. Please be advised that any phone calls or emails to our office will not be returned, since I am no longer in business. I am sorry for any inconvenience.
Sincerely,
Brendan Lawler.”
The closure was unusual in that there was no sale or merger and no transfer of renewal rights and expirations to a successor agency. According to the Division of Insurance website, BL Insurance Brokerage and Brendan Lawler had property and casualty agency appointments from at least fifteen different carriers that were in full force and effect on March 1, 2024.
State regulators moved quickly. The Massachusetts Division of Insurance revoked the Lawlers’ licenses in March 2024 after finding a pattern of untrustworthiness and misappropriation of client funds.
The Alleged Spending and Scheme
The federal Information alleges the couple stole approximately $462,247.89 from insurance providers and premium finance companies, as well as at least $307,486.33 from hard money lenders, between March 2023 and March 2024.
Prosecutors allege that rather than remitting client payments to carriers less their commission, the Lawlers pocketed the full amount of client payments and used the money for personal purposes, including personal purchases, hard money loan payments, utility bills, and personal credit card balances. To keep the scheme afloat, they allegedly employed a “robbing Peter to pay Paul” strategy, using new premium payments to pay off outstanding balances due to other clients’ insurers or to reimburse complaining clients.
The Information details several methods the Lawlers allegedly used to conceal the scheme:
- Creating and distributing insurance documents that falsely purported to show clients were insured
- Assuring clients they had coverage when the Lawlers knew they did not, or soon would not, due to non-payment of premiums
- Sending images of mail tracking numbers, receipts, and checks that the Lawlers falsely claimed corresponded to payments they had mailed or made, which they never sent
- Applying for hard money loans by making false statements to lenders regarding the purpose of the loans
- Refunding complaining clients or belatedly paying for coverage, often using another client’s insurance payment, to conceal the scheme
Current Status and Next Steps
Following their initial arrest on August 27, 2025, Brendan and Lisa Lawler were released on pretrial conditions ordered by Magistrate Judge M. Page Kelley. Both defendants are represented by counsel—Scott Lauer, Esq., represents Brendan Lawler, while Scott Lopez, Esq., represents Lisa Lawler.
The upcoming March 10, 2026 plea hearing before the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts is expected to resolve the criminal charges. The conspiracy to commit wire fraud charge carries significant potential penalties, and the government is seeking forfeiture of $462,247.89, representing proceeds traceable to the alleged offenses.
The Prosecution Team
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement of the filing of the information. U.S. Attorney Foley and Special Agent Docks praised the valuable assistance provided by the Massachusetts Division of Insurance and Insurance Fraud Bureau. Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan Cleary of the Criminal Division is prosecuting the case.
