North Carolina Insurance Commissioner Mike Causey today announced the arrest of Mitchell Ketchen Mullen, 49, of 2262 Isaac St., Concord, NC. Mullen was charged with one felony conversion by a bailee, two misdemeanor charges of prohibited practices in bail bonding and one misdemeanor of failure to properly document affidavit for collection.
According to special agents with the Department of Insurance’s Criminal Investigations Division, Mullen fraudulently used $1,500 in bail bond funds entrusted to him as a bondsman by converting it to his own personal use. He paid a fee of $3,000 to retain an attorney for a client he bonded from jail, a violation of state law. He also accepted $6,000 in cash, 15% more than the premium, and he failed to properly document amounts collected for a client.
According to the arrest warrants, the offenses occurred on Jan. 14, 2023.
Mullen was served by the Cabarrus County Sheriff’s Office and released on June 9. His first appearance will be on June 12 in Cabarrus Conty Court.
“Our Bailbond Regulatory and Licensing Divisions work hard to ensure bondsmen and bondswomen operate properly within the law,” Commissioner Causey said. “I thank our agents and staff for working hard to bring this case to light.”
If you suspect insurance fraud or other white-collar crimes, please report it. You may anonymously report fraud by calling the N.C. Department of Insurance Criminal Investigations Division at 919-807-6840 or toll free from anywhere in North Carolina at 888-680-7684.
Information is also available at www.ncdoi.gov.