A North Carolina insurance agent was charged this week with exploiting an elderly person by stealing identify information and taking out a life insurance policy without the woman’s knowledge.
Tony Lee Gunter, 29, of Spruce Pine, also earned $257 in commission from Foresters Insurance Co. on the fraudulent policy, the North Carolina Department of Insurance and the arrest warrant indicated.
“The defendant, (a) licensed North Carolina insurance agent, used the checking account information of (the victim) to purchase life insurance policy” without the victim’s consent, reads the arrest information in Yancey County court.
The offense took place in January 2025, the court record indicates. The agent was released on $20,000 bond and is set to appear in court on Oct. 12. It’s not clear how the case came about, but state Insurance Commissioner Mike Causey credited NCDOI investigators with bringing the case to light.
Court records in Yancey County show this is not the first brush with the law for Gunter. In August 2025, he pleaded guilt to a larceny charge. Two forgery charges were dropped and Gunter was sentenced to probation upon providing a sample of his DNA. Details of the crime were not included in the court file online.
Gunter has held an active insurance producer license since March 2024, the National Association of Insurance Commissioners’ license page shows. He is appointed with two life insurance companies.
Gunter could not immediately be reached for comment.
Topics Agencies North Carolina
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