Attorney/Ex-Georgia Lawmaker Gets Six Years In Sale Of Forged Title Insurance Policies To Unwitting Homebuyers; 180 Files Involved, Says Underwriter

In Carroll County, Georgia, the Times Georgian reports:

• A Carroll County attorney was sentenced [last week] to six years in prison after he pleaded guilty to 57 counts of theft by taking and forgery. Charles A. Thomas Jr., who at one time represented the city of Temple and the Carroll County Board of Education and formerly served in the Georgia House of Representatives, had been under investigation by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation since June 2008. That’s when agents received information that he had sold forged title insurance under the guise that he was an agent for Stewart Title Guaranty Co.

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• According to investigative reports, Thomas had the authority to sell insurance under Stewart Title until March 2004 when that right was terminated for undisclosed reasons. Thomas then continued selling title insurance through forged Stewart documents and collected the premiums himself.

• In one of the 11 felony counts, Thomas reportedly sold fraudulent title insurance to Jack and Susan Waller of Alma in February 2006. “We had been living in our new home for several months when the mortgage company notified us that we didn’t have title insurance. They were blaming us, so we were very frustrated and it took several days for everyone to figure out what was going on,” Susan Waller said. “He was so relaxed the day of the closing and while we were signing the papers he was very chatty. I think he probably is going where he needs to be and I’m just glad he pleaded guilty.”

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• Carol V. Clark, who represented Stewart Title during the case, said that there was no way that Thomas simply made a mistake. “He was sent notification by certified mail detailing the fact that he had no right to sell title insurance,” Clark said. “So far, we have identified 180 different files involved in the case and we are working diligently to resolve all of the claims.”

For the story, see Attorney sentenced to 6 years for theft, forgery.