LUTHERVILLE INSURANCE AGENT CONVICTED OF
INSURANCE FRAUD AND FELONY THEFT

Attorney General J. Joseph Curran, Jr., announced today that Kimberly Tellis, 33, of Lutherville, pleaded guilty to one count of Felony Theft and one count of Felony Insurance Fraud in the Circuit Court for Baltimore County. Tellis was charged with making false and fraudulent statements and representations to Amerus Life Insurance Company in reference to several life insurance policies and felony theft of the resulting commissions that she received.

The Honorable John Grason Turnbull, II sentenced Tellis to three years incarceration, suspended that sentence and placed Tellis on three years of supervised probation. She was also ordered to continue paying restitution to Amerus Life insurance company.

In a statement of facts presented by the prosecutor, the court learned that between the dates of September 21, 1999 and November 30, 1999, Tellis created and submitted 11 fictitious life insurance policies and received approximately $14,600 in commissions for these fraudulent policies.

"Ms. Tellis simply created bogus insurance policies out of thin air so she could cash in on the commissions," Attorney General Curran said.

The conviction follows a joint investigation conducted by the Insurance Fraud Division of the Maryland Insurance Administration and the Office of the Attorney General.

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