Texas Insurance Agent and Former Elgin Mayor Pleads Guilty to Felony Theft Charge

June 30, 2023

A Texas insurance who previously served as mayor of Elgin pleaded guilty June 20 to theft of property, a third-degree felony.

Christopher Cannon, 38, acquired payments from the company Baker’s Backhoe Services between January 2015 through August 2019 but failed to submit those payments to obtain insurance policies, according to the Travis County District Attorney’s Office. During that time Cannon was president of Cannon Insurance Services, a Central Texas agency that specialized in auto, home, life and business insurance.

Cannon also served as mayor of Elgin from 2016 to 2020.

Cannon was indicted by a Travis County Grand Jury in April 2022 and was arrested the following month by the Elgin Police Department with the assistance of Texas Department of Insurance investigators.

“As a result of the theft, the victim company didn’t have any insurance coverage during that time,” TDI Prosecutor Brian Chandler said at the time of indictment. “Fortunately, the company didn’t need to rely upon the insurance they thought they’d purchased, otherwise, the company could have suffered financial ruin.”

Toby Baker, co-owner of Baker’s Backhoe Services, told news station KXAN in May 2022 that the certificates of liability insurance Cannon had been sending to Baker’s clients were fake.

“At first, disbelief,” Baker told the station. “Like, this can’t be happening. Twenty-five years in business. And I can’t imagine this could ever happen to me.”

Cannon face a fine of up to $10,000 and/or confinement no longer than 10 years.

Topics Texas Fraud Agencies

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