A Roswell financial adviser has been indicted for allegedly running a scheme that bilked $1.3 million from his victims, two of whom were elderly.
A Baldwin County grand jury last week formally charged 54-year-old Dean Harrison Grant with 23 counts — two counts of financially exploiting an elder person, 10 counts of insurance fraud, 10 counts theft and one forgery charge.
Grant is accused of taking hundreds of thousands of dollars under the guise that the would use it to get insurance-related investments and instead kept the money, according to a Friday news release from state Insurance Commissioner John King’s office.
“This devious individual stole more than $1.3 million of hard-earned money from Georgians,” King said in the announcement. “These victims put their trust in him, and in some cases, their livelihood. He abused that trust and left the victims out to dry.”
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Grant’s attorney, Carl Cansino, was on vacation Monday and not immediately available when The Atlanta Journal-Constitution called his office for comment.
Out on a $750,000 bond since March, Grant has since moved to Roswell, according to King’s office.
The case is being handled in Baldwin courts because Grant’s alleged crimes happened in downtown Milledgeville at the office of his wealth management firm, GFG Strategic Advisors.
According to state records, the firm formed in 2008.
A cached version of the firm's website describes the business: "GFG Strategic Advisors is a faith-based wealth management firm dedicated to helping our clients achieve a secure future for their families and businesses. We counsel small to medium-size companies and affluent individuals to tailor unique financial and insurance plans that meet their specific needs."
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A February 2018 version of the website said Grant was a founder and managing partner at the firm with 26 years of experience.
The phone number listed on the cached GFG website goes to Southern Oak Advisory, a new financial advisory group based outside Savannah.
Nearly all of the advisers listed on the cached GFG website are also listed on the Southern Oak website as working there. No one at Southern Oak was immediately available for comment Monday.
According to state business records, Southern Oak formed in March 2019, which is about three weeks after a judge denied Grant’s request for bond.
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Grant graduated Georgia College and State University in Milledgeville with a degree in biology and minors in chemistry and finance, the website said, before getting a masters degree from The American College of Financial Services in Pennsylvania.
The site said he was an active member of multiple professional groups, including the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors.
King's office revoked Grant's license to sell insurance in August.
The news release said insurance fraud is a felony punishable by imprisonment for two to ten years and/or a fine of up to $10,000. To report suspected insurance fraud, anonymously or otherwise, you can call the Georgia Department of Insurance at 800-656-2298.
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