TUCSON, Ariz. -On March 2, 2023, a federal grand jury returned a six-count indictment against Victoria Totten, 71, of Green Valley, Arizona, for Mail Fraud.
The indictment alleges that Totten, while working as a licensed insurance agent, defrauded various elderly clients out of approximately $114,000. It asserts that Totten fraudulently represented and advised prospective clients to pay insurance premiums in advance and directly to her company instead of making payments to the insurance companies. Totten falsely represented the actual terms of the premium payment structure offered by the insurance companies, and claimed that payment should be made in advance to lock in a lower rate. After receiving the fraudulently obtained funds, instead of transmitting the victims’ premium payments directly to the insurance companies, Totten misused large portions of the victims’ funds for her own personal use and to pay insurance premiums for her other clients.
A conviction for Mail Fraud carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, or both. If convicted, a restitution judgment will be imposed against the defendant for any losses sustained by the victims.
An indictment is simply a method by which a person is charged with criminal activity and raises no inference of guilt. An individual is presumed innocent until evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
The Financial Crimes Auditor for the United States Attorney’s Office and the United States Secret Service conducted the investigation in this case. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Tucson, is handling the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR-23-00282-TUC-JGZ-LCK
RELEASE NUMBER: 2023-033_Totten
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys