Former Polk County Deputy Sentenced in Insurance Fraud

FORMER POLK COUNTY DEPUTY SHERIFF SENTENCED FOR FRAUD

Former Deputy Filed Fraudulent Insurance Claim

January 28, 2010

ROME, GA - KENNETH LANE GRAVETT, 43, of Cedartown, Georgia, was sentenced today by Senior United States District Judge Robert L. Vining, Jr. on charges that he submitted a false and fraudulent insurance claim on a motorcycle.

“While employed as a deputy sheriff with the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, GRAVETT filed a false police report and used that false report to attempt to commit insurance fraud,” said Acting United States Attorney Sally Quillian Yates.� “By doing so, not only did GRAVETT violate federal law, but he violated the trust that the citizens of Polk County and the State of Georgia placed in him to uphold the law.� Because of his criminal conduct, GRAVETT is no longer employed by the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, and he will not be able to obtain employment as a law enforcement officer in the future because he now has a felony conviction.”

GRAVETT was sentenced to serve 10 months in home confinement, as part of five years of probation, and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $12,571.02.� GRAVETT pleaded guilty to the charges on November 6, 2009.

According to Acting United States Attorney Yates, the charges and other information presented in court: In 2008, GRAVETT fell behind on making monthly loan payments on his Harley Davidson motorcycle.� He then conspired with another individual to make it appear that the motorcycle was stolen, so that he could file a fraudulent insurance claim on the alleged theft of the motorcycle and use the insurance proceeds to pay off the delinquent loan. In early December 2008, the other individual by arrangement with GRAVETT took the motorcycle from GRAVETT’s garage.

On December 3, 2008, GRAVETT falsely reported to the Polk County Police Department that his motorcycle had been stolen from his garage. On December 4, 2008, the other individual sold GRAVETT’s motorcycle to an FBI informant for $1500. The other individual kept the $1500.� On December 6, 2008, GRAVETT orally reported to his insurance carrier that his motorcycle had been stolen.� On February 9, 2009, GRAVETT using the false police report filed a fraudulent insurance claim with his insurer seeking to recover the value of the motorcycle. The insurance company did not pay the claim.

This case was investigated by Special Agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms, and Explosives, and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from the Polk County Police Department and the Polk County Sheriff’s Office.

Assistant United States Attorney William L. McKinnon, Jr. prosecuted the case.

For further information please contact Sally Q. Yates, Acting United States Attorney, or Charysse L. Alexander, Executive Assistant United States Attorney, through Patrick Crosby, Public Affairs Officer, U.S. Attorney’s Office, at (404)�581-6016; (404)�581-6016.� The Internet address for the HomePage for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is www.usdoj.gov/usao/gan.