A Minnetrista man was sentenced to 34 months in prison on Monday after he stole more than $260,000 from his clients.
Paul Bardine, 55, pleaded guilty in September to theft by swindle and insurance fraud. Bardine was a former insurance agent whose license expired in 2012, according to the Hennepin County Attorney's office. Between September 2013 and January 2015, he convinced four people to cash in annuities for a purported investment. One of the victims knew Bardine for 20 years when she was swindled out of the $100,000 she received from her husband's life insurance policy when he died.
Bardine "made money off my investments for 20 years and then when he fell on hard times, he stole everything from me," the woman told the court Monday, according to the Hennepin County Attorney's office. "I have had many sleepless nights and my days are filled with fear and anxiety of what the future will hold. The thought of retirement has become a distant memory for me."
Bardine will also have to pay $260,987 in restitution.
