Dawson mayor free on bond

ALBANY - The mayor of a southwest Georgia city is free on bond after being indicted on charges that he purchased fraudulent life insurance policies on at least 14 elderly and mentally infirm residents of an Albany assisted living home. <br> <br> Sixty-year-old Dawson Mayor Robert Albritten was arrested Wednesday after the 28-count felony indictment was issued. He is accused of 19 counts of insurance fraud and nine counts of forgery. <br> <br> Ablation has been mayor of the Terrell County city of 5,500 people since January 1991. <br> <br> He was released from custody after posting $5,000 bail. Damson is about 20 miles west of Albany. <br> <br> Insurance Commissioner John Oxendine said Albritten is a licensed agent with Baltimore-based Monumental Life Insurance Company, and also owns Albritten&#39;s Funeral Service, where several of the former residents he insured were sent for burial. <br> <br> Taking out a life insurance policy on someone without their knowledge is illegal in Georgia. <br> <br> Albritten is accused of forging documents showing that the people consented to the policies, which ranged from $3,000-$5,000. Oxendine says he collected commissions on the policies. <br> <br> The fraudulent policies were all for residents of the Top Quality Personal Care Home in Albany, which was closed by state officials.

http://accesswdun.com/article/2002/8/190754