City man charged with 8 felonies in insurance fraud case

A Mount Airy man and former insurance agent was arrested last week and charged with eight felonies, all related to alleged fraudulent actions he took more than 14 months ago.

Matthew Swift, 42, of 402 Ladonia Church Road, Mount Airy, was arrested on Tuesday by the Surry County Sheriff's Office, charged with two counts of insurance fraud, two counts of common law forgery, two counts of identity theft and two counts of common law uttering, all felonies.

According to the department, special agents with the Department of Insurance's Criminal Investigations Division investigating the case found that Swift allegedly twice submitted claims against a life insurance policy he had fraudulently applied for in another individual's name with Southern Farm Bureau Life Insurance Co. Swift is a former insurance agent with N.C. Farm Bureau.

According to the arrest warrant, the offenses occurred on Dec. 1, 2023.

Swift was released from custody on a $75,000 secured bond. He is set to appear in Surry County District Court on Feb. 19.

This is the second time over four months that Swift has been arrested and charged similar crimes. Previously, Swift surrendered himself in the evening of Oct. 31 and was charged at that time with two counts each of identity theft, obtaining property by false pretense, and common law forgery. These charges are not included in the latest round of charges and bring the total number of felonies pending against Swift to 14.

He told "The Mount Airy News" in November that those charges that were being levied by his former spouse were false and his name was being "dragged through the mud" in the process. At the same time, he advised he was unaware of the nature of the charges against him, "We haven't gotten that far yet."

Surry County Sheriff's Office Major Scott Hudson said in November that Swift was given a $25,000 secured bond at the magistrate's office on the day of his arrest and was released.

Reporting from "The Dispatch" of Lexington said that Swift had run afoul with the town of Lexington when he was manager of the town's parks and recreation department. He was charged with embezzlement of more than $21,000.

Swift confirmed that he was ordered to pay financial restitution to the booster club.

Insurance Commissioner Mike Causey encouraged North Carolinians to help keep insurance premiums low by reporting suspicious activity.

"Insurance fraud is not a victimless crime," Causey said. "It hits all of us in the pocket through higher premiums."

Anyone who suspects insurance fraud or other white-collar crimes can anonymously report those suspicions by calling the N.C. Department of Insurance Criminal Investigations Division at 919-807-6840 or toll free from anywhere in North Carolina at 888-680-7684.

Information is also available at www.ncdoi.gov.