Iowa Bail Bondsman Pleads Guilty to Insurance Fraud

An Iowa bail bondsman has pled guilty to insurance fraud and identity theft.

David Mark Ellis of Spring Hill, Iowa, pled guilty in Polk County District Court to two counts of Identity Theft (Aggravated Misdemeanors) and one count of Insurance Fraud (Class D Felony).

The charges stem from a 2021 investigation by the Iowa Insurance Division that found Ellis, the owner of Always Affordable Bail Bonds in Des Moines, had misrepresented the facts surrounding a loss on an insurance claim so that he would receive funds to which he was not entitled.

Ellis utilized another individual’s EBT card to obtain benefits which he was not entitled to receive, according to the investigation.

Following his guilty pleas, Ellis received suspended prison sentences to be served consecutively up to 9 years. Ellis also received 2 years of probation, and a fine of $2,735.00.

The Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, Wapello County Sheriff’s Office, Ankeny Police Department, and the Warren County Sheriff’s Office assisted the Iowa Insurance Division’s Fraud Bureau with the case. The case was prosecuted by the Polk County Attorney’s Office.