A Canton man accused of defrauding a client out of $217,000 in the wake of Hurricane Michael was arrested Friday in Fulton County, authorities said.
Steven Eric Chastain, 58, faces two counts of theft by conversion after he stole from an Albany-based business owner, according to Insurance Safety Fire Commissioner John F. King.
RELATED: Canton man sought, accused of taking $217K from client's hurricane insurance claim
The South Georgia business suffered significant damage from Hurricane Michael in October 2018, and Chastain was hired to handle the business owner’s insurance claim, King said in a news release. Chastain owned Nationwide Public Adjusters.
He’s accused of accepting checks from an insurance company but failing to pass them along to the client.
“The role of public adjusters is to look out for their client’s best interests in the filing and handling of a claim, not to line their own pockets,” King said. “My office will not stand for Georgians being taken advantage of, especially in times of desperate need like this.”
A theft by conversion charge, which is a felony, is punishable by one to 10 years in prison per count.
Chastain remained in the Fulton County Jail on Friday afternoon, awaiting either extradition to Dougherty County or the opportunity to bond out.
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