Middle Georgia ‘Insurance Agent of the Year’ sentenced for federal bank fraud
A former Warner Robins insurance agent and multiple-time “Insurance Agent of the Year” winner was sentenced Wednesday for a federal premium payment scheme that prosecutors said he carried out to boost his chances of winning the award again.
Jeremy Lasseter, 44, of Perry, was sentenced to 27 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to one count of bank fraud on Aug. 27. He was also ordered to pay $221,515.16 in restitution to the victim, which he paid in full at sentencing, according to a news release shared by the United States Department of Justice.
The federal government maintains Lasseter committed the crime, investigated by the FBI, to win the distinction again and take advantage of its associated benefits.
“The money taken from the victim has had a significant negative impact on her life. The defendant must be held accountable for defrauding her and abusing the trust placed in him by Alfa Insurance,” U.S. Attorney William R. “Will” Keyes said in the release. “This is not a victimless crime; such schemes will not be tolerated in the Middle District of Georgia.”
What happened in the bank fraud case?
According to court records, Lasseter owned an Alfa Insurance agency group in Warner Robins and had been selected as Alfa’s Georgia “Insurance Agent of the Year” for four consecutive years.
Beginning in March 2020, he instructed one of his customers to make premium payments directly to him and did not apply the payments towards her policies, sometimes telling her to write checks in his name or pay in cash for “tax purposes,” according to the news release.
Lasseter used the victim’s premium payments toward the premiums for other insurance customers without the victim’s knowledge or consent.
“The victim relied on Lasseter’s instructions to her and, at his direction, made a total of $221,515.16 in payments that were not used towards her policies, but were used to pay other customers of Lasseter’s policies,” the news release said.
Undermining ‘integrity of the insurance industry’
Lasseter was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Marc Treadwell on Wednesday.
“Lasseter’s actions undermined the integrity of the insurance industry and his deliberate scheme to redirect premium payments for his own gain is a clear violation of the law and a betrayal of the victim’s trust,” said Paul Brown, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “The FBI remains committed to holding individuals accountable who exploit others for personal benefit.”
This story was originally published November 19, 2025 at 5:14 PM.