Insurance company: $1 million policy on Henderson man found dead was fraudulent

By Steve Green

Wednesday, June 15, 2011 | 9:07 a.m.

There’s a bizarre development in the slaying of a Henderson actor last year: An insurance company says a fraudulent $1 million insurance policy had been taken out on his life six months before his death.

Henderson Police in November found the body of Joshua Allen Dufort, 23, on the side of a road.

The Clark County Coroner’s office determined he died of multiple blunt force trauma to the head and strangulation.

On Tuesday, American General Life Insurance Co. filed suit against a Henderson man, Don Juan W. Futrell, alleging Futrell may have participated in purchasing the allegedly fraudulent policy and that Futrell had filed a claim for the $1 million as the beneficiary – a claim denied by the insurer.

Futrell couldn’t immediately be located for comment.

The lawsuit asks the federal court in Las Vegas for a declaratory judgment that the life insurance policy is null and void due to "material misrepresentations, omissions, concealment of facts and incorrect statements."

The suit alleges fraud and says the insurance application was a "sham."

While Dufort was well known to colleagues as an aspiring actor, Tuesday’s lawsuit says the April 21, 2010, insurance application falsely said Dufort was "employed by Rough Rags as a business owner" with income of $180,000.

The suit also alleges the application falsely claimed Futrell, as the primary beneficiary of the policy, was Dufort’s domestic partner.

It’s unclear from the suit who applied for the insurance policy and paid the premiums.

The suit says "Joshua Dufort and/or Futrell (fraudulently impersonating insured) applied" for the insurance.

Another misrepresentation was that Dufort did not have any existing or pending life insurance policies, the lawsuit says.

The policy was issued with an effective date of May 18, 2010. Dufort was found dead on Nov. 8 and on Dec. 29 Futrell submitted a "proof of death claimant’s statement" to American General, seeking the $1 million payout.

American General told Futrell on May 27 it was rescinding the policy due to "material misrepresentation" and would return premiums paid, the suit says.

No one has been arrested in the slaying of Dufort and detectives continue to investigate, Henderson Police spokesman Keith Paul said Wednesday.