Nash County man, 35, faces 74 counts of felony charges brought by NC Insurance Department

A Nash County man is facing 74 total counts of felony offenses, in connection with using the identities of numerous people and forging life insurance applications to fraudulently obtain cash from two insurance companies in 2022, N.C. Insurance Commissioner Mike Causey said in a news release late last week.

Jonathan Vlasak, 35, a licensed insurance agent, was charged with 25 counts of forgery, 25 counts of identity theft, 22 counts of obtaining property by false pretense and two counts of attempting to obtain property by false pretense, Causey said.

According to the insurance department, special agents with the department’s criminal investigations division allege that Vlasak used the identities of 16 different victims to defraud two insurance companies.

Vlasak is also accused of subsequently forging life insurance applications under those stolen identities to get $8,256 from Occidental Life Insurance Co. of North Carolina and to get an additional $3,752 from Americo Life Insurance Co. of North Carolina on 22 separate occasions, the department said.

The offenses allegedly occurred between Aug. 23, 2022, and Oct. 25, 2022. Vlasak was arrested on June 4, the department said.

A secured bond for Vlasak was set at $150,000, and he was released the day after having been arrested after posting bond, the Nash County Sheriff’s Office said.

Vlasak had listed an address in the 4300 block of Sandy Pine Court, which is northwest of Dortches, the insurance department said.

Causey said in prepared remarks as part of the news release that consumers need to be extra vigilant to protect sensitive information from getting into the hands of the wrong person.

“The department is committed to helping protect consumers by pursuing and prosecuting these types of major crimes in North Carolina,” Causey said.