The estate of Greg Biffle has been hit with two multi-million dollar lawsuits following the tragic plane crash that claimed the NASCAR legend's life along with six others. Biffle died on December 18 along with his wife Cristina and their two children, Emma (14) and Ryder (5), when their private jet crashed into the runway at Statesville Regional Airport in North Carolina.
Wrongful Death Claims
Four months after the tragedy, the estates of Dennis Dutton, who was piloting the Cessna Citation II, and his son Jack have filed two wrongful death lawsuits in Iredell County, North Carolina. The suits allege that Biffle was responsible for the deaths due to inadequate maintenance and upkeep of the aircraft, which they claim fell under his responsibility. Overall, the Dutton estates are seeking $15 million for each lawsuit.
Details of the Crash
Biffle's jet had departed Statesville Regional Airport, about 45 miles north of Charlotte, approximately 10 minutes before it crashed in December. The plane's speed and altitude fluctuated significantly during the brief flight. At one point, the plane quickly soared from 1,800 feet (550 meters) up to 4,000 feet (1,220 meters) before descending again. Just before the crash, it was only a couple of hundred feet off the ground. Experts said its path was consistent with a flight crew that experienced an issue and needed to return quickly.
Burglary and Fraud Aftermath
In the wake of the tragedy, burglars kicked in his bedroom door and stole $30,000 in cash, two handguns, NASCAR memorabilia, and a backpack after staging a break-in at his Mooresville mansion on the night of January 7 into January 8. Police believe the thieves entered around 11 pm, with surveillance cameras capturing a hooded person near the house. According to Carolina news station WBTV, the suspect seen on video appeared to know the home's layout and camera locations, suggesting they were already familiar with the property.
New search warrants also reportedly show that the deceased family's bank accounts were compromised just hours after the plane crash, while a vile email was also sent to Biffle's account which read: 'I heard you're dead, rest in hell.' Detectives believe both the burglary and the alleged fraud, which resulted in 'hundreds of thousands of dollars' being stolen from Biffle's family, were potentially coordinated and reliant on insider knowledge of their accounts and routines.
Several people in Greg and Cristina's 'inner circle' were reportedly named in affidavits in new search warrants, according to WBTV. However, the outlet has not disclosed the names of those people as they are yet to be arrested or charged in the case. Straight after the couple and their children were tragically killed in the plane crash, detectives allege that suspicious activity began on their email and banking accounts, including changes to emails, phone numbers, and passwords. Fraudulent activity involving Cristina's Venmo account was also detected.
Investigative Findings
The aircraft left an 1,800-foot trail of wreckage after striking trees and airport infrastructure. It is believed bank account information was changed by phone, while at least one fraudulent check was cashed from an account tied to Biffle's business interests. The search warrant also claims that other attempts to compromise the bank account were made at multiple branches across state lines.
According to Charlotte news station WSOC TV, the unusual activity started almost immediately after the plane crash, with the disgusting email telling Biffle to 'rest in hell' sent just after 2 am the following day. The bank account information was then changed later that day, before the fraudulent check was cashed on December 30, almost two weeks later. Then, on the night of January 7, the break-in at Biffle's family home occurred. Investigators believe the burglary may have been intended to cover up a larger plan to steal additional assets from the deceased family.
