FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. _ The CEO of a Hollywood, Fla.-based health insurance agency accused of defrauding tens of thousands of customers might have to say goodbye to his Lamborghini.
His Italian sports car, a Rolls-Royce, a Land Rover and $1 million jewelry were seized by the Federal Trade Commission in November.
In happier days back in March 2018, Steven J. Dorfman and his bride posed with the 2012 Lamborghini Aventador during an opulent wedding celebration at the St. Regis Bal Harbour Resort that the FTC said cost $300,000.
That was before the FTC filed a civil lawsuit accusing Dorfman of masterminding an elaborate lie-filled scheme that misled customers of Simple Health Plans LLC and its affiliates into spending more than $150 million for "worthless" health insurance.
Michael Goldberg, the court-appointed receiver in the case, is asking U.S. District Judge Darrin B. Gayles to approve canceling Dorfman's $6,037-a-month Lamborghini lease and returning the luxury sport car to V.A. Leasing Corp. of Doral.
However, Dorfman is opposed to returning the car, Goldberg told the court in a Jan. 31 motion.
In his motion, Goldberg noted neither Dorfman nor the receivership are making monthly lease payments. "The costs of storage of the vehicle are significant and a drain on the receivership estate," the motion states.
Assuming regular payments had been made on the lease through October, Dorfman sank $225,261 into the car. He had an option to buy it for $5,694 after the lease term ended.
Current listing prices for the 2012 model on Carfax.com range from $240,000 to $300,000, with odometer readings ranging from 2,313 to 21,655 miles.
In an email, Goldberg said he won't ask the court for permission to sell the other assets, including the Rolls Royce and jewelry, until the judge rules on the FTC's request for a preliminary injunction that would keep the company shut down until the case is resolved.
