Georgia Seeks Acting Insurance Chief While Beck Battles $2 Million Fraud Charges

Atlanta, GA (WorkersCompensation.com) – Georgia’s governor is seeking an interim insurance commissioner while the current job holder battles allegations of wire fraud, mail fraud and money laundering.

The U.S. Attorney’s office recently indicted Commissioner Jim Beck in a $2 million fraud scheme. The 38-count indictment says Beck stole from the Georgia Underwriting Association, his former employer, over a five year period just before he was elected to the position of insurance commissioner last November.

“GUA, located in Suwanee, Georgia, is an insurance association created as part of the Georgia Fair Access to Insurance Requirements (FAIR) law to provide high-risk property insurance to homeowners located throughout Georgia,” the indictment says. “While Beck served as General Manager at GUA, he also maintained controlling financial interests in two businesses known as Creative Consultants and the Georgia Christian Coalition. Beginning in 2013, Beck allegedly talked four associates into forming four separate businesses which supposedly supplied necessary services including residential property inspections and water damage mitigation to GUA. … Then, through an elaborate system of fraudulent invoicing which included producing false documentation and concealing the truth from his four associates, Beck regularly approved substantial GUA payments to the four new companies. Beck then allegedly sent fraudulent invoices from Creative Consultants and the GA Christian Coalition to [the 4] companies. At Beck’s direction, his four associates paid the fraudulent invoices from a portion of the money they had been paid by GUA.”

Beck, who maintains his innocence, was arraigned last week and ordered to pay a $25,000 bond. He’s prohibited from leaving the state and reportedly cannot conduct business with the GUA.

Chief Deputy Commissioner Drew Lane will manage the department until a new acting commissioner is appointed. However, Lane’s past position as the GUA’s staff attorney may create complications.

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