Western National Mutual Insurance has finalized their purchase of Dynamic Insurance Group, the parent company of Illinois based American Freedom Insurance. American Freedom will continue to operate as a separate entity, offering non-standard auto insurance in Illinois, Indiana, and Pennsylvania. The current management team at American Freedom will remain intact, operating under the ultimate management and full financial support of Western National.

Utica First Insurance Co. is fighting lawsuits from a Christmas morning fire in Stamford, Connecticut, that resulted in the death of five people. They're arguing that the contractor hired to renovate the house that caught fire "misrepresented the type and scope of work he did," and that had the insurance company been properly informed, they wouldn't have issued coverage.

A Los Angeles life insurance agent has been arrested for allegedly embezzling more than $1 million in premiums from senior citizens. His elderly customers had been paying him for life insurance policies and premiums. The agent himself, Frank Conlon, is 73 years old--so much for "Band of Brothers."

Earlier this week, GEICO honored six distinguished members of the U.S. Military with the 2011 GEICO Military Service Award. The award was bestowed upon candidates who had taken part in generous acts of service to their communities and made a positive impact through dedicating their time, talent, and knowledge to building a safer environment for their fellow citizens.

A teacher and a funeral parlor owner in New Zealand were busted for operating an insurance scam in which they stole people's identities, took out funeral policies in their names, and claimed the money from insurance companies. After running this scam for years, they were ultimately caught by a police officer whose identity they had stolen.