Georgia Timber Baron Sentenced for $131K Insurance Scam

VALDOSTA, GA – John Dewey Morris, 70, of Coolidge, Georgia, is facing the consequences for a brazen insurance scam that cost two major companies over $131,000. Senior United States District Judge Hugh Lawson handed down a five-year probation sentence and ordered Morris to pay $131,443.00 in restitution to Progressive Insurance and Auto Owners Insurance on Monday, October 28, 2013.

The sentence follows Morris’s guilty plea on July 24, 2013, to one count of wire fraud. According to court documents, Morris orchestrated a scheme to file false insurance claims related to a truck and wood chipper owned by his companies, Beeline Wood Products, Inc. and Big Bend Timber Services. The vehicles weren’t stolen, as Morris claimed – they were deliberately dismantled and sold for scrap at his direction.

Instead of reporting the vehicles legitimately disposed of, Morris fabricated a theft, attempting to defraud the insurance companies. The scheme involved falsely reporting the truck and wood chipper stolen from a location in Thomas County, Georgia. Investigators quickly uncovered the truth: the equipment hadn’t been stolen, but rather systematically broken down and sold off for parts and scrap metal, lining Morris’s pockets.

“When people defraud insurance companies, they end up hurting every honest policyholder by subjecting them to increased insurance rates to help offset the effect of the fraud,” stated United States Attorney Michael J. Moore. The statement underscores the ripple effect of such crimes, impacting not just the targeted companies but the broader public.

The United States Secret Service, working in conjunction with the Thomas County Sheriff’s Office, led the investigation into Morris’s scheme. Assistant United States Attorney Robert D. McCullers prosecuted the case, securing the conviction and subsequent sentencing. The collaboration between federal and local law enforcement proved crucial in unraveling the fraud.

Those with further inquiries regarding this case are directed to contact Sue McKinney, Public Affairs Specialist, United States Attorney’s Office, at (478) 621-2602. Morris will now serve his probation, and is legally obligated to fully reimburse Progressive and Auto Owners for the financial damage caused by his deceitful actions. The Grimy Times will continue to follow this case and report on any developments.