A Green Valley insurance agent was indicted by a grand jury on mail-fraud charges for allegedly pocketing insurance premiums paid by clients.
A federal grand jury on March 2 returned a six-count indictment for mail fraud against Victoria Totten, 71.
The indictment alleges that Totten, while working as a licensed insurance agent, defrauded various elderly clients out of about $114,000 by fraudulently advising them to pay their insurance premiums in advance, and directly to her company, instead of making payments to the insurance companies.
The indictment also alleges that Totten falsely represented the terms of the premium payment structure offered by the insurance companies, claiming that payment should be made in advance to lock in a lower rate.
And instead of transmitting the victims’ premium payments directly to the insurance companies, Totten misused large portions of the victims’ funds for her own personal use and to pay insurance premiums for her other clients, according to the indictment.
Totten’s attorney did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
She has been summoned to appear in court on March 24, according to court documents.
Totten operated her businesses under the names “AZ Medical,” “AZ Med,” “Arizona Medical” and “VT Powers & Associates,” the indictment says.
The indictment cites six instances where insurance premium notices and other insurance documents were delivered to Totten’s post-office boxes as part of the alleged scheme.
A conviction for mail fraud carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, or both. If convicted, a restitution judgment will be imposed against the defendant for any losses sustained by the victims.
An indictment is a method by which a person is charged with criminal activity and raises no inference of guilt, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.
Identity fraud scams can sometimes be avoided if you know what to look for. Veuer’s Maria Mercedes Galuppo has the story.
