Franklin Insurance Agent Scott Rolin Pleads Guilty to Wire Fraud

Franklin insurance agent Scott Rolin, 55, has admitted to stealing over $50,000 from an elderly client through a years-long scheme of forged endorsements and unauthorized withdrawals. Rolin, of Franklin, Tenn., pleaded guilty today to one count of wire fraud in U.S. District Court, according to United States Attorney David Rivera.

The crime unfolded between 2011 and 2015, when Rolin, owner of Steele Rolin Co., exploited his position of trust to access annuity policies held on behalf of the vulnerable victim. Without the client’s knowledge or consent, Rolin siphoned funds from the accounts, forging the elderly client’s signature on checks before depositing the stolen money into his personal checking account and a business account under his control.

Those embezzled dollars were then funneled into personal expenses, stretching the betrayal beyond the initial theft. The actions were not random lapses of judgment but deliberate, repeated acts of deception carried out over four years—each fraudulent transaction crossing state lines via electronic banking, triggering federal wire fraud charges.

Rolin now faces up to 20 years in federal prison and a fine of up to $250,000. In addition to potential incarceration, the court will impose full restitution to the victim, whose financial security was undermined by Rolin’s abuse of trust. Sentencing is scheduled for January 27, 2017, before U.S. District Court Judge Waverly Crenshaw.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation led the investigation into Rolin’s conduct, unraveling a scheme that relied on the invisibility of paper trails in trusted financial relationships. The case underscores the vulnerability of elderly clients when professionals exploit their authority for personal gain.

Assistant U.S. Attorney William F. Abely is prosecuting the case, which marks another blow against financial predators operating under the guise of legitimacy. As Rolin awaits sentencing, the fallout from his betrayal continues to rip through the lives he damaged—one forged signature at a time.