Florida Insurance Agent Faces Numerous Counts of Fraud
A Florida man is facing numerous counts of insurance fraud that include misappropriation of insurance funds, fraudulent use of personal identification, and an organized scheme to defraud. According to authorities, the defendant wrote 11 policies for 7 individuals and accepted over $122,000 from his customers. He is also alleged to have gotten into two financial agreements with premium finance companies without his customer’s knowledge or consent. The defendant is further accused of writing his clients’ names on the paperwork but using his own contact information so that his clients never became aware of missed payments or the cancellation of their policy.
Understanding insurance fraud in Florida
Most of the time, insurance fraud is committed by policyholders who attempt to dupe their insurance company into paying out when they shouldn’t have to. In this case, the insurance fraud was committed by an insurance agent who pocketed policy payments for his own purposes. In this case, the defendant has also been charged with insurance fraud. In the vast majority of cases, it is the insurance company that is the victim of the insurance fraud charges. In this case, it was the policyholders and the insurance company.
Fraud committed against an insurance company
Insurance fraud is a criminal act that involves making a false claim to an insurance company. In these cases, policyholders make false claims related to their car insurance, homeowner’s insurance, or any other insurance policy. Insurance fraud is considered a felony in Florida. It can be charged as either a third-degree or second-degree felony depending on how much money the alleged fraudster is attempting to steal. In the case of a third-degree felony, the maximum sentence is 5 years behind bars. In the case of a second-degree felony, you can face a maximum of 15 years behind bars for the offense.
The most common forms of insurance fraud in Florida
Insurance fraud is a type of fraud that can be committed in multiple ways. The most common form of insurance fraud is staging an accident scene for car robbery, car accidents, car damage, and others. The second-most common form of insurance fraud involves health insurance. Health insurers are often defrauded by doctors who charge for unnecessary procedures or bill patients for services they never received. Other forms of insurance fraud are committed against a homeowner’s insurance policy.
You need an attorney to fight insurance fraud charges
If you have been charged with insurance fraud in Tallahassee, FL you will need an experienced criminal defense lawyer with experience fighting for clients accused of white-collar crimes. At the office of Luke Newman, P.A., our Tallahassee white collar crime lawyers have helped several clients that have been charged under both federal and state law for the crime of fraud. We can help you raise a vigorous defense to the charges and ensure that you are treated fairly by the justice system. Call our office today to schedule an appointment, and we can begin preparing your defense immediately.
Source:
nbcmiami.com/news/local/florida-insurance-agent-faces-serious-charges-after-being-accused-of-fraud/3147836/
