Agent accused of insurance fraud faces 50 years in prison
Published 12:29 pm Wednesday, February 27, 2019
A Mississippi insurance agent faces half a century in prison for charges he committed insurance fraud and other felonies, the attorney general’s office announced Wednesday.
Vicksburg resident Dustin Michael Blount, 33, was arraigned Wednesday on an 11-count indictment, which finds that he knowingly lied to an insurance company when he said 10 people wanted to change their policies and then used their Social Security Numbers to make the unwanted changes.
The indictment states that Blount received more than $500 in commission as a result. He turned himself in to the Hinds County Sheriff’s Department Tuesday.
A Hinds County grand jury indicted Blount on one count of false pretense (10 years and $10,000 fine), three counts of insurance fraud (nine years and $15,000 fine), four counts of fraud (20 years and $20,000 fine), and three counts of wire fraud (15 years and $30,000 fine).
A charge is merely an accusation, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
This case was investigated by Jerry Spell and will be prosecuted by Special Assistant Attorney General Steven Waldrup, both with the AG’s Insurance Integrity Enforcement Bureau.