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Escambia Insurance Agent Pleads Guilty To Wire Fraud, Money Laundering
August 27, 2021
The owner of an Escambia County insurance agency has pleaded guilty to wire fraud and money laundering offenses as the FBI seeks more potential victims.
John Michael Thomas, 51, pleaded guilty to wire fraud and money laundering charges related to selling fraudulent insurance policies to his clients in exchange for approximately $4.8 million in insurance premium payments.
Court documents reflect that between September 2013 and February 2021, Thomas operated an insurance business known as Thomas Insurance, LLC. and defrauded customers through a type of insurance fraud known as premium diversion. Thomas executed this scheme by collecting insurance premiums from customers and keeping the funds for personal use instead of producing insurance policies. To conceal his acts, Thomas gave the customers fraudulent documents referencing insurance policies that did not exist.
This case resulted from a joint investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigations and the Florida Department of Financial Services, Division of Investigative & Forensic Services, Bureau of Insurance Fraud. W
Thomas’ sentencing hearing is scheduled for November 29 at the United States District Courthouse in Pensacola before District Judge T.K. Wetherell. Thomas faces a maximum term of 20 years imprisonment for wire fraud, a maximum term of 10 years imprisonment for money laundering, and a maximum term of 20 years imprisonment for money laundering to conceal proceeds of specified unlawful activity.
Work is ongoing to ensure all alleged victims are identified. If you are a client of Thomas Insurance, LLC. and wish to speak to an investigating agent regarding your policy, you are asked to contact FBI Jacksonville at (904) 248-7000 or email FLinsurancefraud@fbi.gov, and reference “Thomas Insurance.” An FBI representative will respond with additional instructions.
Comments
2 Responses to “Escambia Insurance Agent Pleads Guilty To Wire Fraud, Money Laundering”
@Doneden Well, first…did you receive an Insurance policy? If not, that’s a sure sign you got duped; and if you did, it should have come from the Insurance Company itself, not the Agent. If they issued it themselves, I would have called the Insurance Company (who actually is providing the coverage) & confirmed my policy is valid. I say this because I pay for it, I want to know it’s valid. You can always check their business license online, as well.
Glad they caught this loser.
How do we protect ourselves from theives like this?