Convicted of betraying 156 million of health insurance

Berglind Elfarsdóttir, former project manager at the Icelandic Health Insurance, was sentenced to three years in prison for betraying just under ISK 156 million from the agency and paying that amount to her husband and two sons. The verdict was upheld in the Reykjanes District Court last week.

In the judgment of the Reykjanes District Court, 33 months out of 36 are over Berglind suspended for three years. Two of Berglind’s sons were sentenced to eight and eighteen months in prison for money laundering as they transferred a large part of the money to their mother’s various accounts.

Performed the task of a project manager for deception

Berglind was charged with forgery and fraud in public office in 2013 through 2024. The demands did not really support and were in the name of three individuals. One of them is dead, but the other two are the sons of Berglind, August Guðni and Geir Aaron.

The requirements were, among other things, for foreign medical expenses, but by registering their sons and husband as followers of unrelated parties who enjoyed medical treatment abroad.

Berglind forged the requirements in the agency’s system and deceived other employees of the Icelandic Health Insurance to approve them. The claims were eventually paid to her sons.

Transferred 27 million to the husband

About ISK 27 million was transferred to Berglind’s husband’s bank account, but he is now deceased. In 32 cases, almost 16 million was disposed of from the husband’s bank account into Berglind’s bank account.

In seventy cases, millions were just over ISK 49 million in the other son’s bank account and in 67 cases, ISK 44 million was transferred from his account to his mother’s account. About 80 million were deposited into the bank account of the other son and he transferred about ISK 72 million to his mother.

Project manager for 10 years

Berglind joined Health Insurance in 2012, but in 2014 she was awarded the position of project manager and her role was to take care of payments for medical treatment abroad.

In May 2024, Berglind was called to a meeting with the CEO of Health Insurance and the Director of the Division. At the meeting, Berglind admitted to paying money through the agency’s system. Three days later, health insurance appealed to her fraud.

Berglind reported that her husband was ill and home conditions were catastrophic at that time. Her husband, who is dead, had been incomeless because of the illness and saw her way through her work as a project manager to keep the home going.

Berglind says he has seen a very easy way to put claims into the system and did not have to submit papers or other data. Berglind only had to enter numbers and send the claim for payment. Two employees then had to accept the claim and says Berglind did not know about her fraud.

Her sons were active participants in the case

Berglind claims to have had access to his sons’s bank accounts and therefore saw the opportunity to facilitate the transfers. According to Berglind, she saw to a large extent the finances of her sons.

It was easy to transfer to the son’s accounts before electronic credentials came to light. When accepting transfers, Berglind called his son and asked them to accept the payment. According to Berglindi, her sons never asked her where the money came from, and they thought their mother was helping them.

The brothers said they knew nothing about their mother’s conduct in court. They said that the amounts that their mother had deposited had only been in the accounts for a short while, and if they did not consider it specifically.

The judgment shows Berglind’s summary and it is quite clear that the payments could not have passed with her sons.

The whole family in a statutory imprisonment

Berglind and one son do not have a criminal record, but the other son received a three -month suspended sentence in 2015 for a violation of the Criminal Code. In 2023, he was sentenced to three months in prison for traffic violations. The son broke the terms and it was decided that he would receive an 18 month suspended prison sentence for membership in this case.

Berglind was sentenced to three years in prison and her two sons to eight and eighteen months in prison.

mbl.is/karitas

Berglind was sentenced to three years in prison and the other son for eight months. Berglind has to pay a defense salary amounting to about ISK 2.2 million to his defender, Vilhjálmur H. Vilhjálmsson.