Utah prosecutors say a life insurance agent in their state “stole the American Dream” from three elderly siblings by wiping out their life savings under the guise of helping them.

Darin Perkins

Darin Perkins, 44, pleaded guilty to three second-degree felony counts of exploiting a vulnerable adult, communications fraud and identity fraud and was sentenced by a district court judge to 45 years in prison, according to the Utah Office of the Attorney General.

Judge Robin Reese ordered the insurance agent to serve three consecutive one-to-15 year prison sentences and ordered Perkins, of Bountiful, Utah, to pay $263,978 in restitution.

Court documents indicate that Perkins was selling life insurance in 2003 at a senior expo and contacted three elderly siblings, two sisters and one brother. Perkins eventually took control of the siblings’ credit, home equity and bank accounts, stealing nearly $300,000 from them to buy five vehicles, a motorcycle, a boat, personal watercraft and a trailer, according to the attorney general’s office.

Shortly after the theft was discovered, one sister died, and her brother collapsed and had to be sent to a nursing home. The surviving sister is still trying to hold on to a home that was once paid off, officials said.

Assistant Attorney General Richard Hamp said in a statement he has never gotten “this harsh” of a sentence for a white-collar crime case.

“This defendant wiped out their life savings so he could live the high life and waste money on luxury items,” Hamp said. “He stole the ‘American Dream’ from them and there is no way for him to give it back.”

Utah Attorney General Mark Shurtleff applauded the sentence, as it sends and important message. He said “that these crimes are significant and devastating especially when a victim loses a lifetime of savings with someone they think they can trust.”

According to the Utah Insurance Department, Perkins was not affiliated with an agency. He obtained his license to sell accident and health insurance in Jan. 2003 and his license to sell life insurance in Dec. 2002. His resident producer license is set to expire in November.