MEMPHIS, Tenn. — A Cordova man is facing more than two years in federal prison after getting convicted of running a multi-year scheme to defraud four insurance companies and stealing about $5.9 million, a U.S. attorney announced Monday, Oct. 21.
Christopher C. Brown, 47, made claims to Main Street Assurance Company, saying he lost over $340,000 due to water damage and a purported burglary while running a music recording business in Memphis on Monroe Avenue, according United States Attorney's Office for the Western District of Tennessee. The claims were paid.
He then acquired insurance coverage from Markel Corporation for that very same business, making a claim for $2,840,000 for fire damage. Markel paid the claim.
Brown then created Tattooed Millionaire Entertainment (TME), a limited liability corporation, letting him request insurance coverage without revealing previous insurance claims.
With TME, he bought a second Memphis property on Rayner Street that previously accommodated another recording studio and received insurance coverage for the property and music recording business from Hanover American Insurance Company. Later, the man asserted an arson fire damaged the Rayner property and obtained $2,200,000 from Hanover on the claim.
Furthermore, Brown retrieved vehicle insurance on a 1985 diesel bus from Progressive Insurance and claimed the bus was stolen. In a settlement, Brown gained $109,580 from Progressive.
Authorities determined Brown made false statements and representations with all four insurance companies, including fake or altered document submissions to the companies.
Brown pled guilty to mail fraud in September 2023. United States District Court Judge Samuel H. Mays sentenced Brown to 27 months of prison October 17, 2024. Two years of supervised release will follow.
He has also been ordered to pay $5,214,302 in restitution.
