HAMLET — Two Richmond County insurance coverage brokers are going through felony fraud fees after allegedly gathering greater than $30,000 mixed in commissions from functions with false data.
N.C. Insurance coverage Commissioner Mike Causey introduced Wednesday {that a} legal summons had been served to 34-year-old Christian LaFabian Ratliff and 43-year-old Jamel Dante Buie, with fees coming from particular brokers of the Division of Insurance coverage’s Prison Investigations Division.
In response to a DOI spokesman, each Ratliff and Buie are separate impartial brokers.
Ratliff, of Jenkins Covington Street in Rockingham, is accused of acquiring $29,528.33 in commissions by submitting life insurance coverage functions containing false data to 2 insurance coverage corporations between Oct. 16, 2020 and Aug. 24, 2021, in accordance with a press launch.
Buie, of Earle Franklin Drive in Hamlet, allegedly obtained $4,758 in commissions after submitting false functions to an insurance coverage firm between Nov. 9 and Dec. 30, 2020.
Each have been served a summons on March 10 and have been scheduled to look in court docket Thursday.
Ratliff is charged with two felony counts every of insurance coverage fraud and acquiring property by false pretenses, in addition to two misdemeanor counts of creating false statements in an utility for insurance coverage. Buie is going through one rely every of the aforementioned fees.
“Insurance coverage fraud just isn’t a victimless crime,” Causey mentioned in an announcement. “It hits all of us within the pocket by way of larger premiums.”
On-line information with the Nationwide Affiliation of Insurance coverage Commissioners present Ratliff’s license, which was issued Sept. 30, 2020, was voluntarily surrendered on Dec. 17, 2021. Buie’s license, nonetheless listed as energetic, was issued Oct. 27, 2020.
Each enterprise addresses are listed in Hamlet.
Their subsequent court docket date is scheduled for June 2.
All defendants going through legal fees are presumed harmless till confirmed responsible in a court docket of regulation.
Anybody who suspects insurance coverage fraud is inspired to name the NCDOI Prison Investigations Division at 919-807-6840 or go to ncdoi.gov.
