Keith Ashley, a 51-year-old financial advisor and insurance agent from Allen, Texas, has been sentenced to life imprisonment for a series of crimes including murder, fraud, and firearms violations. The verdict was delivered in October 2022, following a trial that revealed Ashley’s desperate attempts to save his failing brewery business by stealing from his clients and committing murder.
Ashley was found guilty of federal wire, mail, and bank fraud charges, as well as firearms violations. The most shocking revelation from the case was Ashley’s murder of one of his clients, 62-year-old Jim Seegan. Ashley’s motive was to gain control of Seegan’s finances, which would help him keep his struggling brewery, Nine Band Brewing, afloat.
The court heard how Ashley visited Seegan’s home, drugged him, and then shot him in the head. In an attempt to cover up his crime, Ashley positioned the murder weapon in Seegan’s hand to make it appear as though Seegan had committed suicide.
Following the murder, Ashley used Seegan’s cellphone to transfer money from Seegan’s bank account to his own. He also collected the proceeds from Seegan’s life insurance policies, which were estimated to be worth around $2 million.
Prosecutors argued that Ashley used the stolen money to fund a lavish lifestyle and prop up his failing brewery business. The case has sent shockwaves through the community, highlighting the lengths some individuals will go to maintain a certain lifestyle.