Two Ky. Men Face Insurance Fraud Charges

March 19--Two men working for Bankers Life and Casualty face charges of insurance fraud and forgery charges.

A Warren County grand jury Wednesday indicted Jeffery Stringer, 29, of 167 Leifert St., Monticello, Minn., and Ryan Dudgeon, 32, 220 W. Owl St., Campbellsville. They are accused of using annuity payments without authorization to buy additional insurance policies to obtain fraudulent commissions, Warren County Commonwealth's Attorney Chris Cohron said.

Bankers Life and Casualty is a Chicago-based company with an office in Bowling Green, according to the company website.

Stringer is charged with four counts of fraudulent insurance acts over $300 and five counts of second-degree forgery, according to Warren Circuit Court records. Dudgeon is charged with five counts of fraudulent insurance acts over $300 and seven counts of second-degree forgery, court records show.

Both men were working for Bankers Life and Casualty, Cohron said. However, they are accused of acting independently of each other.

Don Petrella of the Kentucky Department of Insurance presented the cases against Stringer and Dudgeon to a grand jury, court records show.

The investigation began after consumer complaints were made to the company, which launched an internal investigation, Cohron said. Customers examined their year-end statements, saw that monies had been withdrawn without their approval and called the company. The company determined that the policies were fraudulently purchased to generate commissions, Cohron said.

Company spokeswoman Barbara Ciesemier said the company does not comment on ongoing investigations and can only confirm an agent's status with the company. Stringer's agent contract was terminated May 31, 2010. Dudgeon's contract was terminated July 31, 2010.

Neither Dudgeon nor Stringer has been lodged in Warren County Regional Jail on these charges, according to online jail records.

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