Bossier City Man Sentenced for Staging Equipment Theft

SHREVEPORT, La.: United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that Kenneth A. Gordon Jr., 43, of Bossier City, was sentenced Thursday before U.S. District Court Judge Donald E. Walter, to 20 months in prison following his convictions for conspiracy and wire fraud after filing a false insurance claim for theft of his John Deere equipment. Gordon is also required to pay $104,134 in restitution.

Gordon’s co-defendant, Don E. Newton, was sentenced in December 2012 to two years of supervised probation for conspiring with Gordon to commit wire fraud.

Trial testimony revealed that Gordon had asked Newton to report that a John Deere skid steer and a John Deere telehandler valued at approximately $140,000 had been stolen in August 2006. Gordon then filed a false claim to Sentry Insurance for the equipment. Instead of being stolen, Gordon had been leasing the equipment to a friend for $15,000 per month. Gordon later agreed to sell the skid steer to another friend in Texas for an additional $15,000. Gordon testified that he permitted his elderly parents to travel across
state lines to deliver the equipment to his friend even though they were unaware it had been reported stolen. Law enforcement discovered the John Deere skid steer in Hico, Texas, in June 2009 on the friend’s property with an identification number matching the one Gordon previously reported stolen.

“Insurance fraud is a serious federal offense that affects everyone,” Finley said. “We will continue to use every tool available to aggressively investigate and prosecute those individuals who perpetrate these types of financial crimes that affect our community.”

The Louisiana State Police/Insurance Fraud Auto Theft Unit and the Texas Department of Public Safety/Motor Vehicle Theft Services investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cytheria D. Jernigan prosecuted the case.