FORMER COMPANY PRESIDENT CONVICTED
OF FELONY THEFT AND INSURANCE FRAUD

Attorney General J. Joseph Curran, Jr. announced today that Alfred Murray Slattery, 46, former president and owner of Towson-based National Insurance Services, pleaded guilty in Baltimore County Circuit Court to committing felony insurance fraud and stealing over $1,574,000 from various premium finance companies. The Honorable Vicki Ballou-Watts ordered a pre-sentence investigation and scheduled sentencing for September 26, 2003. Slattery’s former partner, Michelle Lyons Baker, has also been charged with felony theft and felony insurance fraud. No trial date has been set

In a statement of facts presented by the prosecutor, the court learned that between January 2000 and January 2002, Slattery created numerous fraudulent and/or fictitious insurance policies and instituted
premium finance agreements on these policies. Slattery often used legitimate company names but forged signatures to obtain illegitimate premium finance agreements. He then would use bogus addresses so that individuals whose names were being used on these policies would not receive any documentation regarding them. In other instances, Slattery would receive premium payments in full from a customer but not remit these payments to the respective insurance company. He would then also institute a premium finance agreement without the insured’s knowledge.

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

#