Investigator arrested for insurance fraud

By Taylor Seay (Contact) | Post-Searchlight

Originally published 04:03 p.m., July 9, 2009
Updated 11:28 a.m., July 10, 2009

A Bainbridge Public Safety investigator and his mother were arrested on Wednesday on charges of insurance fraud.

According to the Decatur County Jail, Investigator Alton Eugene Brock Jr. of 605 River Oaks Drive was arrested Wednesday and charged with insurance fraud, violation of oath by public officer and filing by employer of evidence of compliance with insurance requirements.

His mother, Martha Love, 59, of 1049 North Gate Circle, were arrested Wednesday and charged with insurance fraud.

Sheriff Wiley Griffin said the investigation was not conducted by the Decatur County Sheriff’s Office. He said the Sheriff’s Office served warrants that came from the State Board of Workers’ Compensation (SBWC) Enforcement Division.

A news release provided by the SBWC states that Brock and Love own Southern Companies Staffing Agency—a Bainbridge temporary employment agency that provided payroll and insurance services to other businesses.

An SBWC Enforcement Division investigation alleges that from September through December 2008, Brock and Love failed to pay premiums owed by their company for their policy for workers’ compensation insurance coverage, which resulted in a policy cancellation. Knowing the policy had been canceled, they continued to collect monies for their customers.

“Alton Brock and Martha Love are accused of conspiring to conceal the fact that there was no insurance coverage in effect by issuing fraudulent certificates of insurance to several businesses they had contracted with to provide the workers’ compensation insurance coverage,” the news release states.

According to the release, they are accused of collecting more than $22,000 from one company alone and failing to pay payroll taxes and workers’ compensation insurance premiums.

Bainbridge Public Safety Director Larry Funderburke said Brock has been suspended without pay pending the outcome of the case.

A veteran of the U.S. Navy, Brock worked as a BPS patrolman from 1997-2003 before serving for three years as a deputy commander of the Pataula Circuit Drug Task Force. Brock returned to BPS becoming an investigator in August 2006.

Brock was not available for comment.