Clarks Summit Attorney Convicted Of Mail Fraud

SCRANTON - The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Susan C. Kevra-Shiner, age 46, of Clarks Summit, Pennsylvania, was convicted yesterday of seven counts of Mail Fraud in connection with the operation of her abstract and title insurance company. The three-day jury trial of Kevra-Shiner was held before U.S. District Court Judge Edwin M. Kosik in Scranton.

According to U.S. Attorney Peter Smith, the jury returned with the verdict of guilty after approximately seven hours of deliberation.

In 2009, Kevra-Shiner was an attorney who also owned and operated GK Abstract Co., Inc., an abstract and title insurance company located in Avoca, Pennsylvania. As part of her legal practice, Kevra-Shiner handled real estate transactions, and, starting in 2003, she began issuing title insurance policies as an authorized agent of the Stewart Title Guaranty Company, a title insurance underwriter based in Texas.

Kevra-Shiner's agency agreement with Stewart was terminated on September 23, 2008, but the defendant nevertheless continued to issue numerous title insurance policies to her clients after that date. As a result, she defrauded at least sixty-nine (69) homeowners and/or the associated lenders of at least $69,000 in title insurance premiums. The policies Kevra-Shiner sold her clients were invalid and she never remitted any portion of the premiums she received to the underwriter.

On February 28, 2013, the Pennsylvania Office of Disciplinary Counsel suspended Kevra-Shiner's law license for four years as a result of these activities.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Peter Hobart and Evan Gotlob.