Charlottesville Insurance Agent Charged with Fraud

To contact us Click HERE


GrahamMesser Facing 13 Charges
CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA—A local insuranceagent is facing a handful of federal charges related to fraud following theunsealing of an indictment returned by a federal grand jury two weeks ago inthe United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia inCharlottesville.
Graham Hutson Messer, 32, of BremoBluff, Virginia, was charged in a sealed indictment returned September 12,2012, and unsealed last week following the defendant’s arrest. Messer has beencharged with 13 counts of mail fraud.
According to the indictment, Messeroperated as an independent agent offering insurance and insurance products forsale to clients in Virginia. Messer purported to sell insurance offered by anumber of different insurance companies, including, but not limited to: theFarmers Insurance group of companies, Chartis Inc., Nautilus Insurance Group,Granite State Insurance Company, and Main Street America Group.
It is alleged in the indictment thatMesser would instruct his clients to send payments for insurance premiumsdirectly to him. The defendant told his clients that he would then remit thepayments to the insurance companies. However, according to the indictment,Messer embezzled those funds for his own, personal use, never sending them tothe insurance company, while also deceiving his clients into believing they hadinsurance coverage.
If convicted, the defendant faces amaximum possible penalty of up to 20 years in prison and/or a fine of up to$250,000 for each mail fraud charge.
The investigation of the case wasconducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Albemarle County PoliceDepartment, the Virginia Bureau of Insurance, and the Charlottesville CityPolice Department. Special Assistant United States Attorney Elliott Casey willprosecute the case for the United States.