Former ‘Insurance Agent of the Year’ sentenced to prison for insurance payment scheme

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PERRY — A former owner and repeat winner of “Insurance Agent of the Year” of a Warner Robins insurance company was sentenced to federal prison for an insurance payment scheme he conducted to win the award and its benefits, according to a press release by the Department of Justice.

Jeremy Lasseter, 44, of Perry, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Marc Treadwell on Nov. 19 to 27 months in prison and over 221,000 paid in restitution to the victim. Lasseter pleaded guilty to one count of bank fraud on Aug. 27.

According to court documents and statements, Lasseter owned the Alfa Insurance Agency group in Warner Robins. He had been selected as Alfa Georgia’s “Insurance Agent of the Year” for four years in a row.

Starting in March 2020, Lasseter told a victim, a customer of his, to make payments to her premium but didn’t apply them to her policy. Instead, he used her payments towards other customers without her knowledge or consent.

Lasseter would sometimes tell the victim to pay cash or make checks payable to him rather than Alfa Insurance, saying it was better for taxes.

In total, the victim made $221,515 in payments that were applied to other policies.

The prosecution argued Lasseter conducted the fraud to maintain his “Insurance Agent of the Year” title, an honor that granted perks and status.

The case was investigated by the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Howard is prosecuting the case.

“The money taken from the victim has had a significant negative impact on her life. The defendant must be held accountable for defrauding her and abusing the trust placed in him by Alfa Insurance,” U.S. Attorney William R. “Will” Keyes said. “This is not a victimless crime; such schemes will not be tolerated in the Middle District of Georgia.”

“Lasseter’s actions undermined the integrity of the insurance industry and his deliberate scheme

to redirect premium payments for his own gain is a clear violation of the law and a betrayal of the victim’s trust,” said Paul Brown, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “The FBI remains committed to holding individuals accountable who exploit others for personal benefit.”