An insurance agent in Lebanon County, PA has been charged for taking out over $67,000 in loans by using the identities of his clients.
Nathaniel Finkin, 45, forged Pennsylvania drivers’ licenses with the names and dates of birth of his clients, but used his own photos. With these counterfeit documents, he was able to take out loans under his clients’ names, an affidavit from a state trooper read.
The affidavit said that Finkin admitted in October to opening loans of $20,000, $17,500 and $9,820, under the names of three separate clients. He also confessed to attempting to take out loans using the identity of other individuals, but either was declined or he chose not to pursue them.
Finkin told the authorities that he turned to writing fraudulent loan applications after he was declined a loan in his own name.
“Obviously, I didn’t think I’d get caught. And I viewed it as a victimless crime in that I was going to be paying (back) the money and that the individuals would be none the wiser and have no impact whatsoever on what I have done,” he said, according to the affidavit.
Following several months of investigation, Finkin, on February 22, admitted to police that he had taken out another $20,000 loan under a fourth client’s name.
The investigation into Finkin began last September; at the time, his estranged wife spotted suspicious-looking documents in his possession, including the false drivers’ licenses.
Lebanon Daily News reported that police contacted several of Finkin’s victims after obtaining a confession from him. The victims confirmed that they had not attempted to take out a loan during the times Finkin did, and that Finkin had been their insurance agent with Transamerica Insurance or Baltimore Life Insurance, where he previously worked.
Police have identified a total of 12 victims and attempted victims.
Court documents said that Finkin was confined to Lebanon County Correctional Facility, forgoing a $100,000 monetary bail.
