by Michael Mata
Melissa Grimmesey, a former licensed insurance agent in Santa Maria, was scheduled to be arraigned on Wednesday, August 10, at 8:30AM in the Santa Maria Division Courthouse Department 9, in Santa Barbara County. Grimmesey was charged with nine felony counts, including one count of grand theft, one count of embezzlement, one count of theft of funds by a fiduciary, five counts of identity theft, and one count of unauthorized access to a computer system.
Grimmesey was employed as a customer service representative for an unnamed insurance agency where she allegedly stole premiums from policyholders who paid cash for insurance premiums. She then used the other customers’ credit cards to repay the stolen premiums. Grimmesey recorded the cash payments in the computer system, then deleted them at a later date to avoid being caught.
"Grimmesey's alleged crimes left some policyholders without coverage and at financial risk to loss," stated California Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones. "Consumers should check their credit card statements regularly for any unauthorized transactions and make sure they receive an actual policy from the insurance company after paying a premium."
The case is being prosecuted by the Santa Barbara County District Attorney’s office, notes the
official press release from the California Department of Insurance.
