Four California insurance agents have been arrested for participating in an alleged commissions scam, according to the California Department of insurance.
Life insurance agents Samuel Tadlock III, 32, Marlene Ramirez, 43, Daniel Herrarte, 34, and Jorge Lopez Jr., 38, were arrested on multiple felony counts of identity theft and grand theft after allegedly scamming $124,000 from life insurance companies.
Investigators said that the agents submitted fraudulent insurance applications with information from stolen identities in order to collect unearned commissions. A fifth agent suspected in the scheme, 42-year-old Scotty Carlisle, is making arrangements to surrender himself, according to the DOI.
“I have zero tolerance for agents and brokers who scam insurers and victimize consumers,” said California Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones. “We aggressively investigate allegations of wrongdoing and work with our district attorney partners to prosecute scam artists and dishonest insurance producers.”
According to the DOI, the agents issued life and supplemental insurance policies using fake applications. They allegedly altered and falsified the applications by making changes to essential information, including addresses, phone numbers, birthdates and social security numbers, and submitting the phony applications through insurers’ electronic databases.
“Not only were the agents collecting unearned commissions, they were allegedly trying to take advantage of bonuses, including a Hawaiian trip incentive offered to qualifying insurance agents,” the DOI said in a statement.
When one victim insurer discovered inconsistencies in the applications, it notified the DOI of the agents’ alleged scam.
