By Intelligencer Reporter Christopher Ruvo
August 5th, 2009
A Montgomery County insurance agent has been accused of swindling $45,000 from elderly customers.
Brian Johnson, 61, of the 3000 block of Congress Road, East Norriton, ripped off 14 people between the ages of 75 and 96, including victims from Harleysville, Gwynedd and Pottstown, authorities said.
From his alleged victims Johnson took premiums that he was supposed to use to pay for long-term care insurance and life insurance.
Instead, he pocketed the cash, depositing it into his bank account and the account of the company he owned, Valley Forge Insurance Co., which was formerly located in Norristown, authorities said.
Since Johnson never sent the premiums to the insurance companies, customers were left without polices or had polices cancelled because of failure to pay, authorities said.
“Mr. Johnson’s clients believed they were purchasing long-term care insurance coverage, but instead were left with nothing,” said Pennsylvania Attorney General Tom Corbett. “This scam left these individuals vulnerable to damages and losses far greater than the money that was stolen from them.”
Johnson victimized people from Chester, Lancaster, York, Schuykill and Philadelphia counties in addition to his Montgomery County victims, said authorities.
The attorney general’s Elder Abuse Unit and Insurance Fraud Section investigated the case.
Johnson is charged with 14 counts of misapplication of entrusted property, 14 counts of theft by deception, 14 counts of theft by failure to make required disposition of funds and one count of insurance fraud.
He was preliminarily arraigned before Norristown Magisterial District Judge Ester Casillo and released on $10,000 unsecured bail. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for next Wednesday.
The case will be prosecuted in Montgomery County by Senior Deputy Attorney General Robert LaBar of the Attorney General’s Insurance Fraud Section.
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