Garden City man sentenced for insurance fraud

Oct. 24--A Garden City man convicted of insurance fraud in July has been sentenced to two years probation and ordered to pay $20,000 in restitution.

Eric Alan Hansen, a former insurance adjuster for Farm Bureau Insurance in Ford and Finney counties, was sentenced in Ford County District Court on Sept. 26 and ordered to repay the money to FBL Financial Group, Inc.Farm Bureau is a subsidiary of FBL.

He pleaded no contest to charges that he reported vehicles as totaled and retained by owners, then sold the cars to a body shop, according to a press release from the Kansas Insurance Department.

The crimes were committed in Ford County between July 2007 and November 2010. A total of 10 vehicles were identified in the complaint, including a semi-tractor, cars and pickup trucks.

According to the insurance department release, Hanson kept the titles and took vehicles to the body shop, where he would receive a "finder's fee" from the body shop owner. The shop would then restore the vehicles and sell them.

Hansen was arrested Dec. 10, 2012, by Finney County Sheriff's deputies on a Ford County warrant.

"This resolution is a great example of local and state cooperation in fighting fraud," Sandy Praeger, state insurance commissioner, said. "Insurance department personnel are always ready to do whatever they can to protect consumers from activities such as this."

___

(c)2014 The Garden City Telegram (Garden City, Kan.)

Visit The Garden City Telegram (Garden City, Kan.) at www.gctelegram.com

Distributed by MCT Information Services