Former Montana Agent Pleads Not Guilty

A former Billings insurance agent pled not guilty to nine counts of forgery, two counts of insurance fraud and one count of theft in a scam that reportedly deprived victims of $587,058, according to the Billings Gazette.

Michael Don Hutton was arraigned on Sept. 13 and released without bond. Hutton$(Bs (Bagency, MD Hutton Insurance Inc., was investigated by the Montana State Auditor$(Bs (BOffice after reports of insurance fraud earlier in the year.

From July 2000 to May 2004, Hutton reportedly kept premiums for himself instead of forwarding them to insurance companies. A woman from Melstone said that she had given Hutton premiums since 1998, but she received a notice from Safeco Insurance that the premiums were unpaid. Hutton said that the insurance company made a mistake. The insurance policy was cancelled as a result.

Hutton also allegedly created fictitious companies to secure loans and reroute mail intended for victims and forged documents.

The case is ongoing and prosecutors said that there will most likely be additional charges against Hutton.