Authorities say former local businessman stole more than $1.3 million from clients
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| Dean Grant |
A 54-year-old former Milledgeville businessman, accused of stealing more than $1.3 million from clients while working as a financial advisor, pleaded not guilty to 23 felony criminal charges Monday in Baldwin County Superior Court.
Dean
Harrison Grant, who formerly lived and worked in Milledgeville and now
resides in Roswell, Ga., entered his plea during an arraignment hearing.
Grant was represented at the hearing by his attorney, Carl Cansino, of
Milledgeville.
Grant, who was
arrested for the alleged crimes and who served several days in the
Baldwin County Law Enforcement Center, was indicted last November by a
grand jury in Baldwin County.
Grand
jurors indicted Grant on two counts of trafficking an elder person by
financial exploitation, 10 counts of insurance fraud, nine counts of
theft by taking, and one count of forgery in the first-degree, according
to records filed in the Baldwin County Superior Court Clerk’s Office.
Grant was released from jail after posting a $750,000 bond on March 15 last year.
“This
devious individual stole more than $1.3 million of hard-earned money
from Georgians,” said Georgia Commissioner of Insurance and Safety Fire
Commissioner John F. King. “These victims put their trust in him, and in
some cases, their livelihood. He abused that trust and left the victims
out to dry. This should serve as an example to all of the people who
feel they are above the law; these heinous acts will not be tolerated in
this state.”
King’s comments
were disseminated to media outlets in a press release after grand jurors
returned the 23-count indictment against Grant.
Grant was the founder and managing partner of GIF Strategic Advisors, located at 136 W. McIntosh St., Suite A in Milledgeville.
He was taken into custody on charges last February.
At
that time, the state’s insurance and safety fire commissioner said
Grant was accused of receiving a total of $589,384.33 from three of his
victims. The money was reportedly given to Grant for him to secure
insurance-related investments, a total of $447,589.26 of which was taken
from two elderly customers.
“He
did not obtain any insurance investments with the money he received
from his customers and instead used it for personal benefit,” King said
in the press release.
Later,
Grant was charged with seven other additional counts of insurance fraud
and seven counts of theft by taking (fiduciary), according to the state
official.
“He was accused of
taking an additional $785,000 from three customers for him to secure
insurance-related investments, bringing the total monetary value
received from the victims to $1,374,384.33,” King said.
The
case was jointly investigated by Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office
Detective Capt. Brad King and Special Agent Jason S. Jones with the
Georgia Insurance Commissioner’s Office.
Full Article & Source:
Grant pleads not guilty at arraignment
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