Novi Insurance Agent Accused of Forging Client Letters, Embezzling Over $400,000 in Premiums
NOVI, Mich. — A 70-year-old insurance agent from Novi is facing multiple felony charges after prosecutors say he orchestrated an elaborate embezzlement scheme involving forged client letters, unpaid premiums, and falsified tax records. Robert Joseph Bucko, the longtime owner of The Stevenson Company insurance agency in Oakland County, was arraigned on October 31, 2025, in the Oakland County 52-1 District Court.
According to the Michigan Department of Insurance and Financial Services (DIFS) and the Oakland County Prosecutor’s Office, Bucko allegedly forged documents from his insurance clients — including several local municipalities — to divert funds meant for premium payments. Prosecutors said the fraudulent activity spanned several years and involved complex deception that allowed Bucko to conceal large financial discrepancies.
Bucko faces a long list of serious felony charges, including:
- Two counts of Embezzlement by an Agent $100,000 or more (each a 20-year felony)
- One count of False Pretenses $50,000 or more but less than $100,000 (15-year felony)
- One count of False Pretenses $20,000 or more but less than $50,000 (15-year felony)
- Seven counts of Insurance Fraud (each a 4-year felony)
- Three counts of Failure to File State Income Taxes (each a 5-year felony)
Investigators allege that Bucko collected full insurance premiums from eight municipalities, but instead of forwarding the full amounts to the insurer, he remitted only partial payments — sometimes just a quarter or half of the premium — and kept the remainder for personal use.
Court documents revealed that Bucko’s operation functioned similarly to a Ponzi-style scheme, in which he used new client payments to cover shortfalls in previous accounts. When the discrepancy was uncovered, Bucko reportedly owed the insurer more than $400,000 in unpaid premiums.
Authorities say Bucko also forged letters and other correspondence to make it appear as though clients had authorized certain financial adjustments, hiding his actions from both the municipalities and the insurance companies he represented.
In addition to the alleged insurance-related crimes, Bucko is accused of failing to file Michigan state income tax returns from 2021 through 2023, further compounding the charges against him.
“This case represents a serious breach of trust,” an official from the Michigan Attorney General’s Office stated. “Public institutions rely on their insurance agents to act with honesty and transparency. Instead, this individual allegedly used that trust for personal gain.”
The alleged scheme came to light after one of the municipalities noticed irregularities in billing and reported it to the insurance carrier, prompting a full audit and criminal investigation.
Bucko has since been released on bond and is scheduled to appear in court again on November 12, 2025, for a probable cause conference.
If convicted on all counts, Bucko faces decades in prison and significant financial restitution. The investigation remains ongoing as state regulators continue reviewing his agency’s records for additional discrepancies.
#NoviNews #OaklandCounty #MichiganCrime #InsuranceFraud #CrimeInTheD