Attorney General Mayes Announces Prison Sentences in Fraudulent Life Insurance Scheme Targeting Vulnerable Arizonans

PHOENIX — Attorney General Mayes announced today that two defendants have been sentenced to prison by the Maricopa County Superior Court for their roles in a fraud scheme that preyed on vulnerable Arizonans. On April 2, 2026, Shannon Ariel Lovell was sentenced to 3.5 years in the Arizona Department of Corrections, to be followed by supervised probation for 3 years. On March 12, 2026, Ryan Patrick Michell was sentenced to 5.5 years in the Arizona Department of Corrections, also to be followed by supervised probation for 4 years.

From July 1, 2017 through approximately July 8, 2019, in Maricopa County, Ryan Michell and Shannon Lovell operated a scheme designed to fraudulently collect life insurance proceeds at the expense of vulnerable victims.

"These defendants built a predatory scheme from the ground up — creating a fake insurance company, targeting people facing addiction and homelessness, and then positioning themselves to profit from those victims' deaths,” said Attorney General Mayes. “My office remains committed to protecting vulnerable Arizonans from exploitation and abuse.”

Michell created a fictitious company called "Patriot Life Insurance Company," which was advertised as selling legitimate term life insurance. Together, Michell and Lovell deliberately targeted vulnerable populations, including those dealing with substance abuse as well as homeless individuals, they also made contact with potential victims by approaching them at methadone clinics.

Lovell served as the primary recruiter, convincing victims to sign up for what was described as a free life insurance policy subsidized by a nonprofit organization to help people who could not afford coverage. Once victims completed enrollment forms with their personal information, Michell used that information to take out real policies with actual insurance companies — but altered the documents to substitute himself and Lovell as beneficiaries and replaced victims' contact information with fictitious email addresses and their own home addresses. Michell and Lovell agreed to split the proceeds 50-50.

Michell pleaded guilty to Participating in a Criminal Syndicate, a Class 2 Felony, with one prior felony conviction, and Fraudulent Schemes and Artifices, a Class 2 Felony. Co-Defendant Shannon Lovell pleaded guilty to Participating in a Criminal Syndicate, a Class 2 Felony, and Fraudulent Schemes and Artifices, a Class 2 Felony.