Former Carpinteria Man Found Guilty of $1.2 Million Scam Targeting Seniors

A one-time insurance agent from Camarillo, Brett E. Lovett, was found guilty of 29 counts of fraud, elder abuse, grand theft, and money laundering this week, including two victims Lovett met and befriended at the Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses congregation in Carpinteria. According to the criminal complaint, there were nine victims in all. 

Lovett was found guilty of bilking these clients for a total of $1.2 million over a period of five years, between 2011 and 2016, while he was residing in Carpinteria. He was arrested in 2017. According to prosecuting attorney Casey Nelson, Lovett — whose license to sell insurance policies expired in the year 2000 — promised to invest some of the victims’ money. According to Casey and the California Insurance Commissioner’s office, Lovett used the funds either to pay off other investors or to pay for cosmetic procedures, lease vacation rentals in Carpinteria, buy a $6,500 diamond ring, travel to India, and loan money to a Subway franchise in Los Angeles. 

Lovett also did business as a representative of Legal Aid Information and came into contact with some victims that way. 

According to Casey, Lovett had been implicated in a prior case — a civil action — for bilking parishioners at another Kingdom Hall. In that case, Casey said, Lovett settled. On the stand in that case, Casey stated Lovett admitted to using the proceeds to buy breast implants for a girlfriend and hair plugs for himself.

In the current case, one of the victims lost $194,688.50, her life savings. One of his victims, Casey added, was homeless for a while. Another had to move in with her family.  

Casey said he intends to argue Lovett should get the maximum sentence, 30 years behind bars. Sentencing is scheduled for May 9. The case against Lovett was a joint effort involving the Santa Barbara County District Attorney and the California State Insurance Commissioner.