Life insurance agent set to face theft charges

A California life insurance agent will face a preliminary hearing Friday as he contends with grand-theft and identity theft charges. This month, Kerry Urban Hunter, an agent in Inglewood, Calif., was charged with a felony count of identity theft and a felony count of grand theft, following an investigation by the California Department of Insurance. Mr. Hunter has pleaded not guilty, and his hearing is scheduled for Nov. 6. The Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office will prosecute the case. The state's Insurance Department discovered that last year, Mr. Hunter allegedly received $5,177 in advance commissions from Aflac Inc. after turning in 18 fake insurance applications for supplemental medical policies on the behalf of nine people. The insurance company also began its own investigation after a number of the applications were canceled because the premium payments were returned for insufficient funds, according to the Insurance Department. It turned out that Mr. Hunter allegedly used his bank checking account information on these applications. The applications also had incorrect Social Security numbers, addresses and birthdays. Though Aflac was unable to locate the applicants, investigators at the Insurance Department found one individual. That man said he didn't know Mr. Hunter and that he had no intention of buying a policy from him. “We previously reported this independent agent to the department of insurance for creating fictitious policies,” said Aflac’s spokesman Jon Sullivan. “His contract has been terminated, and we are cooperating with authorities throughout the prosecution.”