A Texas man has pleaded guilty to cheating a Georgia church out of millions of dollars in hurricane repairs, having allegedly done similar to other people and congregations.
Andrew Mitchell, a 45-year-old resident of Kemeh, who also goes by the name “Andrew Aga,” pled guilty last week to one count of mail fraud before U.S. District Judge W. Louis Sands.
Mitchell could be sentenced to as much as 30 years in prison, followed by a minimum of three years of supervised release and a $1,000,000 fine. A sentencing date is pending.
Acting U.S. Attorney Shanelle Booker said in a press release issued last Friday by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Georgia that Mitchell was brought to justice through a coordinated effort of federal prosecutors and “investigators from the Georgia Insurance Commissioner’s Office” who “thoroughly examined years of fraud.”
“It is disheartening to see someone willing to defraud a place of worship in the wake of a major natural disaster, especially when its congregation trusted the defendant and all those involved to act lawfully and help them repair their historic downtown facility after Hurricane Michael,” stated Booker.
According to court documents, Mitchell targeted Friendship Missionary Baptist Church of Albany, which was insured by Brotherhood Mutual Insurance Company of Fort Wayne, Indiana.
After Friendship Missionary Baptist sustained considerable damage due to Hurricane Michael in 2018, Mitchell reached out to Brotherhood Mutual, presenting himself as a public adjuster on behalf of the church.
From 2018 to 2021, Mitchell reached out to Brotherhood Mutual on multiple occasions to receive substantial insurance payouts, with him falsifying documents to get the money.
For example, in November 2020, Mitchell submitted an invoice supposedly coming from a heating and air company for $950,000 for work that wasn't performed at the church.
On another occasion in January 2021, Brotherhood Mutual issued a check jointly payable to Friendship Missionary Baptist and Loss Consultants of Texas, LLC for $544,512.80 that was mailed to Mitchell, who had forged the church’s endorsement.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, church representatives met with Mitchell in 2022 to voice concern over the incomplete repairs, with Mitchell falsely claiming that Brotherhood Mutual was withholding additional payments.
The insurance company had issued over $6.86 million in payments that were intended exclusively for the church’s hurricane repairs.
This is not the only time that Mitchell has faced charges stemming from allegedly pocketing money meant to cover insurance claims for churches and individuals.
In January 2023, Louisiana police arrested Mitchell for allegedly stealing $592,000 from settlement checks meant for seven former clients, in which he forged their signatures.
The seven victims were homeowners living in the Louisiana parishes of St. Charles, St. John the Baptist, Orleans and Tangipahoa, who had suffered property damage as a result of Hurricane Ida, reported the Claims Journal.
“I am very pleased to see the prompt action by Louisiana insurance regulators in first revoking (Mitchell’s) license and now charging him with felony crimes,” stated insurance defense attorney Steven Badger, as quoted by Claims Journal. “Hopefully we will soon see similar charges in Texas and Georgia where he has similar alleged victims.”
Mitchell was also accused of taking multiple insurer checks totaling over $322,000 that were meant for a church in Minnesota. However, he reportedly returned the money minus a fee after the congregation filed a police complaint against him.
