The Wilson fire chief and his wife were arrested on embezzlement charges after they allegedly stole money from the City of Wilson and other victims.
Curtiss, 49 and Kilby Nipp, 48 are accused of stealing more than $380,000 in client premium payments over the span of nearly 2 years from 2023 to 2024, according to the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation.
The arrests were made after the Wilson Police Department requested OSBI to investigate embezzlement allegations involving the husband and wife’s actions during their time working as insurance agents in previous years.
Curtiss and Kilby Nipp both worked as insurance agents at Wayne Wood Agency in Wayne, Oklahoma. They have worked with the City of Wilson since 2020.
An OSBI investigation alleges the two were pulling money from two insurance policies the City of Wilson held with Oklahoma Mutual Assurance Group through the Wayne Wood Agency.
“The policy that they had in place was that there were supposed to be payments over several months,” explained OSBI public information manager Hunter McKee.
Last year, OMAG realized thousands of dollars were missing.
According to OSBI, when they contacted the insurance agency, they didn’t hear back. So, they reached out to city officials and the Wilson Police Department started investigating.
After gathering evidence showing that something was wrong, they went to OSBI as Curtiss was a public official.
Investigators found that money was spent on personal expenses and debt payments.
“The money that was supposed to go to the Oklahoma Mutual Assurance Group was actually being taken out by this couple and used for their own personal gain,” said McKee.
Investigators say OMAG and the City of Wilson are just a few of the people affected by this.
According to OSBI, money from insurance clients was never deposited, so some clients’ policies lapsed or even cancelled.
“It has the potential to be several people who were impacted by this embezzlement,” said McKee.
Both Curtiss and Kilby Nipp were arrested and booked into Carter County Jail on Wednesday. They have since bonded out of jail.
The Nipps face 8 years in prison if they’re convicted.