When the C-suite leader of one of the largest and best-known companies in manufactured housing, Gary Shiffman, President and CEO of Sun Communities (SUI), is involved in allegations of an insurance fraud scam, that ought to be headline news in and beyond manufactured housing. Indeed, it was headline news for the Detroit News, but in manufactured housing trade media, only by MHProNewsand a resident organization have ‘covered’ the controversy.  With that backdrop, a tipster with knowledge of numerous details of the case provided MHProNews with a series of revealing documents that shed light on the insurance fraud and related legal allegations involving Brian Willis Benderoff, Dr. William “Bill” Gonte, and Gary Shiffman. The first of those documents in a planned series of reports on the Shiffman et al allegations are provided below. Per an internet search using Google, this appears to be the first time the following will be published anywhere online; so, it is a true news “exclusive.”

Part I of this report will be of the polygraph result that supports the allegations of Benderoff with respect to Sun CEO Shiffman and the purported insurance fraud scam involving Shiffman’s mother.  The source of the polygraph test, James Hoppe with JDH Consulting, appears to be authentic and reputable. According to a source that claims knowledge, the polygraph examiner was a “leading examiner at the FBI for 20 years. Jim Hoppe is the real deal. Most people fail his exam because they are lying. He can NOT be bought!”  The text of that document are provided below.

Part II of this report will be additional information which includes a preview of some of what is planned for subsequent follow ups on this developing issue involving Sun’s CEO Shiffman.

Part III of this report will be the Daily Business News on MHProNews macro and manufactured home connected markets update.

Part I

The TIN number and the email address of JDH Consulting Services, LLC has been edited out, but the information that follows is from the document provided to MHProNews. The text of the document speaks for itself.

 

JDH Consulting Services, LLC

PO Box 943 • Troy, Michigan 48099 • 586 404 8354 • TIN ——-

April 22, 2022

Report of Polygraph Examination

Examinee:  BRIAN WILLIS BENDEROFF

Examination Date:  4-21-2022

Background:  Brian Benderoff is a 55 year old male in good health who was referred for testing by his attorney, Michael Bullotta, in connection with an investigation and prosecution for fraud being conducted by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHHS) and the United States Attorney.  Benderoff and his co-defendant, Dr. William

Gonte, have been indicted in connection with a scheme to sell life insurance policies of Lois Shiffman by falsely representing Lois Shiffman’s health.  Dr. Gonte falsely represented the health of Lois Shiffman by falsifying her blood test in order to make it appear that she was in poor health.  In 2010 or 2011 Benderoff learned that in February, 2009 Gonte and Gary Shiffman, son of Lois Shiffman, executed an agreement wherein Gary Shiffman agreed to pay Gonte a large amount of money when the policies were sold.  Benderoff maintains that he was not present when this agreement was executed and he was not aware of the agreement until Gonte told him in 2010 or 2011.

Pretest Interview:  In 2006 or 2007 Gary Shiffman, a wealthy real estate investor, purchased over $60 million in life insurance policies on the life of his mother, Lois Shiffman.  Benderoff believes that Shiffman purchased these policies in hopes of selling them at a profit after a two year waiting period.  In 2008-2009 Shiffman was actively attempting to sell the policies through broker Jonathon Polter however buyers were not interested because Lois Shiffman’s life expectancy was too long.  Gonte misrepresented Lois Shiffman’s health by falsifying her blo0d tests in an effort to reduce her life expectancy thus making the life insurance policies more marketable. In return for his role Gonte received approximately $1.6 million from Gary Shiffman after the policies were sold.

Benderoff and Gonte have been close friends since childhood.  In the past Benderoff and Gonte used the same accountant for the preparation of their tax returns and in fact each year Benderoff and Gonte went together to the accountant to have their tax returns prepared.  It was on one such visit that Gonte produced an agreement dated 21-2009 that was handwritten by Gary Shiffman in which Shiffman promised to pay Gonte up to 30% of the proceeds of the sale of the life insurance policies.  Shiffman maintains that Benderoff was present when the agreement between Shiffman and Gonte was executed.  Benderoff denies that he was present and maintains that he only became aware of the agreement when it was disclosed to him by Gonte in the office of their accountant.

Benderoff agreed to submit to a polygraph examination in order to demonstrate that he is being truthful when he states that he was not present when the handwritten agreement between Shiffman and Gonte was executed and that he first learned of this agreement when he and Gonte were in the office of the accountant in 2010 or 2011.

Instrument:

During the examination a Lafayette LX 4000 computerized polygraph instrument was used.  The control question technique was utilized.

Relevant Questions:

Benderoff was thereafter afforded a polygraph examination consisting of the following relevant questions:

1. Were you present when the agreement between Shiffman and Gonte was signed? Answer: No
2. Did you know about the handwritten agreement before Gonte told you about it? Answer: No

Opinion:

In the opinion of the examiner the recorded responses to the above questions were truthful and not indicative of deception.

           

 

 

 

 

 

Polygraph Examiner

Michigan License # 6001000346

##

MHProNews note: the PDF of the document obtained will be made available as a download which will be provided in a planned follow up report, which may occur next week.

 

Part II – Additional Inf0rmation with More MHProNews Analysis and Commentary

MHProNews has reached out to Shiffman yesterday afternoon for his reaction to the allegations linked here and here. As of 8:39 AM on 6.24.2023 there has been no response. MHProNews also provided the Manufactured Housing Institute (MHI) with an opportunity to respond to the developing concerns. As of that same time and date, there has been no response.

OpenCorporate says that JDH CONSULTING SERVICES LLC – the name of the company that performed the polygraph – has records dating back to February 4, 2011.

According to the Fraud Group profile of polygraph examiner James “Jim” Hoppe is the following information. “Jim Hoppe…retired after a career as a Special Agent of the FBI for over twenty-seven years.”

Hoppe’s work reportedly included financial crimes. Note that Hoppe’s tenure at the FBI predates some of the controversies involving the so-called ‘weaponization’ of the federal agency circa 2016 and since in the 2016 and 2020 election contests between Donald J. Trump (R), Hillary Clinton (D), and Joseph R. “Joe” Biden (D).

Some of Hoppe’s highlights, per that source, involved cases and career highlights that included:

• the theft of pension plan funds.
• Investigation and prosecution of the Chairman, President and CFO of a large public corporation, for accounting and securities fraud. Forfeiture and restitution exceeded $300 million.
• Investigated and prosecuted one of the largest Ponzi style investment schemes in Michigan history. In excess of 2000 victims lost over $11 million. Recovered $1.4 million in cash and property.
• A certified FBI polygraph examiner.
• Responsible for a wide variety of investigative matters including bank fraud, mail fraud, fugitive matters, property crimes and violent crimes.

The LSS website says of Hoppe the following.

James D. Hoppe was a Special Agent of the FBI from 1982 – 2009. In 2003 Special Agent Hoppe graduated from the prestigious Department of Defense Polygraph Institute (DodPI) located on Fort Jackson in Columbia, South Carolina. Following his successful completion of the demanding DodPI curriculum Special Agent Hoppe went on to conduct hundreds of polygraph examinations in all areas under the jurisdiction of the FBI including terrorism, foreign counterintelligence (FCI), financial crimes, violent crimes and major offenders (VCMO) and screening examinations for prospective FBI employees.

Upon his retirement from the FBI in 2009 Mr. Hoppe completed the requirements to become a licensed polygraph examiner in the State of Michigan. As a polygraph examiner in private practice since 2009 Mr. Hoppe has conducted polygraph examinations in numerous high profile cases in both State courts and Federal District Courts.”

Restated, the tipster who provided the document above who made the favorable assertions about Hoppe appear to be well supported. Once more, along with the polygraph examination and other documents provided to MHProNews, the tipster said that Hoppe was a “leading examiner at the FBI for 20 years. Jim Hoppe is the real deal. Most people fail his exam because they are lying. He can NOT be bought!”

 

The original report on the Shiffman et al legal controversies, linked below, appears to be the most read report year-to-date on MHProNews. As with other MHProNews reports, it provided insights and information not found in the original mainstream news report by the Detroit News (not a slam against them as the original reporting source, but rather a simple statement of fact). There are advantages to readers who want to know more about issues in longer forms of journalism that provide more evidence and additional source materials so that discerning minds can see for themselves how accurate information and analysis being provided are.

 

Brian Benderoff Claims he and Dr. Billy Gonte Involved in Insurance Scam with Gary Shiffman, CEO of Sun Communities, per Detroit News – Additional Info Beyond Report; plus MHMarkets Update

 

The following provided some additional insights into how that report has been received by manufactured housing industry readers, investors, public officials, and others.

 

‘Vexing Dozen’ Led by Gary Shiffman, Sun Communities CEO ‘Insurance Scam’ Claim by Brian Benderoff-Legal Action Report, Other MHVille News, Reports Follow; plus MHMarkets Update

 

It will be recalled that when the controversies broke out about another high-profile Manufactured Housing Institute (MHI) member, Joseph “Joe” Stegmayer, formerly with Cavco Industries (CVCO) and a prior MHI chairman, that the vast majority of the industry trade coverage of that issue came from MHProNews/MHLivingNews. Some ignored the matter completely.  Stegmayer eventually settled with the Securities and Exchanges Commision (SEC). So did Cavco.  That’s not to imply that the two cases are parallel, they are distinctive in several ways.  But it does give readers confidence that MHProNews follows the facts, known evidence, presents an array of information, and proved to be correct time and time again as a result of our unique method of reporting with analysis. MHProNews has demonstrably not been deterred from reporting on controversies involving MHVille, and that pattern is planned to continue on this Shiffman et al insurance fraud claims matter.

‘Keeping Our Mobile Home Communities Safe, Well-Maintained, Affordable is Vital’ – Attorney General Wm Tong Testimony, More Follow Probe of Sun Communities (SUI) Issue–Latest MHI Member Scandal?

Programming Note: MHProNews has been provided a series of documents, beyond the one shown above. A follow up on this topic is planned for next week which will include another apparently exclusive document. When this polygraph result above and the next exclusive document are combined, it could aptly be called “a bombshell” for Shiffman, and perhaps Sun and MHI too. Watch for it.

• To sign up in seconds for our free x2 weekly emailed news updates, click here.
• Tips in the form of documents, emails, and other legitimate insights are one of the things that set MHProNews apart from all others who posture being in the trade media biz in MHVille. Tips and insights can cause positive change by bringing attention to vexing issues. To send tips on this developing story, as well as others involving manufactured housing industry officials, organizations, companies, and issues are welcomed and encouraged.

 Update on 6.26.2023.  The document above relates to the document shown below.

 

Name Calling, Evidence, Facts, and Manufactured Housing’s Primary ‘Muckraker’ Shed Light on Manufactured Home Industry Underperformance; plus Sunday Weekly Headlines Recap

Hypothetically Speaking-Imagine You’re Among Thousands in Sales or Management at Clayton Homes–‘Gaslighting’ by Clayton Leaders, Buffett-Berkshire-Clayton Moat and MHI–plus MHVille Market Update

 

Part III. Daily Business News on MHProNews Markets and Headline News Segment

 

Headlines from left-of-center CNN Business – from the evening of 6.23.2023

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