Catoosa County Sheriff Gary R. Sisk said a man selling pre-need policies out of Wilson Funeral Home may have bilked numerous individuals out of thousands of dollars.
Kevin Miles, 41, was arrested on Tuesday by the Cherokee Indian Police Department in Cherokee, N.C. and is awaiting extradition back to Catoosa County.
Sheriff Sisk said at a Friday press conference, “We are currently seeking Kevin Miles, a locally contracted insurance agent, for felony warrants of theft by deception and financial exploitation of an elderly person.
"We have four confirmed victims and approximately 28 more victims we are still investigating at this time with an estimated value over $75,000.00.”
The sheriff said Miles was an independent contractor with Atlantic Coast Insurance Company working out of the Wilson Funeral Home to sell funeral prearrangements through Atlantic Coast Life Insurance based in Charleston, S.C. from June 2017 to July 2019.
Wilson Funeral Home has chapels in Fort Oglethorpe, Ringgold, Chickamauga and LaFayette.
Sheriff Sisk said, "Miles would receive payment in full for these policies but would keep that money for his own use and send the insurance company a policy for monthly payments with his address. Evidence shows he possibly made some payments but stopped and the accounts are delinquent.
"If you purchased a funeral prearrangement insurance policy from Kevin Miles through Atlantic Coastal Life Insurance of Charleston, S.C. between June 2017 and July 2019, you need to contact Atlantic Coastal Life Insurance and confirm your policy is in good standing. If it is not, we ask that you contact Detective Tim Busby of the Catoosa County Sheriff’s Office at (706) 935-2424."
Leroy Wilson, president of Wilson Funeral Home, said, "If you believe you have been affected, we urge you to contact the Catoosa County Sheriff's Office.
"If you bought a pre-need insurance policy through the individual referenced in the press release, we suggest that you contact Atlantic Coast Insurance Company at your earliest convenience to confirm that your pre-need policy is in good standing. Call 843 573-3025 for Whitney Feagin and 843 573-3025 for Charles Sanders.
"Please be advised that Wilson Funeral Home has been actively cooperating with the Catoosa County Sheriff's Office since the time it first learned of this matter and rest assured that Wilson Funeral Homes will continue to conduct its business as it always has, with honesty and integrity."