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Press Release

Raleigh Man Convicted of Mail Fraud, Wire Fraud, and Identity Theft for Stealing from Elderly Client

For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, Eastern District of North Carolina

NEW BERN, N.C. – A federal jury convicted a Raleigh  man today on eleven counts of mail fraud, eleven counts of wire fraud, and two counts of aggravated identity theft.

According to court records and evidence presented at trial, Furman Alexander Ford, 51, was a New York Life (NYL) financial advisor who was advising a 72-year-old client who had recently inherited real property valued at $1.3 million.

Ford assisted in the sale of the property and the setting-up of a charitable annuity trust with NYL using the sale proceeds.  Ford worked as an insurance and financial agent at NYL from 2012 to 2015, and the victim was his primary client while employed at NYL.  The charitable annuity was set-up to pay the victim $6,000 per month during her lifetime.  As part of Ford’s responsibility as the victim’s financial agent, he drafted and submitted authorized letters of withdrawal from her annuity account to pay for certain expenses.  Under NYL customer service guidelines, the financial agent is required to have the client sign the withdrawal letter in person with “wet ink” before submitting it to NYL via the mail.  The funds would then be electronically wired to the recipient as directed by the client with their full knowledge and consent.

During the investigation, agents identified twenty separate fraudulent letters of withdrawal drafted by Ford and submitted to NYL headquarters in New York, NY, on behalf of Ms. Jones.  The letters were all mailed by Ford via UPS from his office in Raleigh.  The funds requested ranged from $5,000 to $45,000 and totaled over $400,000.  The proceeds were then electronically wired by NYL to Ford’s personal checking account.  An FBI financial analysis traced the funds to the purchase by Ford of various personal items, including a BMW vehicle, Rolex watches, firearms, child support, and a cruise to the Bahamas. On December 29, 2014, Ford withdrew $1 million from the victim’s annuity account.  Ford stole over $1.3 million from the victim.

“Integrity and trust are characteristics that all financial agents should embody,” said Acting United States Attorney Acker.  “Unfortunately, the defendant used his position to prey upon one of our nation’s most vulnerable citizens and today he was held accountable for his criminal actions.  Our office is dedicated to prosecuting fraud cases, particularly those directed at the elderly, and will continue to use our resources to bring to justice those who take advantage of others to line their pockets with money.”   

Ford faces a maximum penalty of 444 months in prison when sentenced during the August 3, 2021 term of court.

G. Norman Acker, III, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Louise W. Flanagan accepted the verdict. The United States Postal Inspectors and the Federal Bureau of Investigation   investigated the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Ethan A. Ontjes and Special Assistant United States Attorney Tamika Moses prosecuted the case.

Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No.5:20-cr-00351-FL-1.

Updated March 10, 2021

Topic
Elder Justice