A Wadena insurance agent has been charged with two counts of mail fraud for allegedly stealing approximately $524,000 from clients.

John David Paulson, 56, owner and operator of the David Paulson Agency Inc., an independent insurance agency located in Wadena, is accused of being involved in a scheme where he’s alleged to have stolen money he collected from his clients for their insurance premiums.

According to a release, Paulson is accused of providing fake invoices to his clients that fraudulently inflated the amount of money his clients owed to their insurance companies. Paulson then allegedly used his clients’ money for his own purposes, including paying his home mortgage and personal credit card bills.

Paulson’s alleged involvement left his clients owing large amounts to their insurance companies or without insurance policies. The fraud took place between 2011 and 2018.

By — Destiny Wiggins