SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. —Formerly licensed insurance agent Vincent Allen LaGrange, 66, of Seal Beach, was sentenced today in San Bernardino County Superior Court on one misdemeanor count of grand theft from an elder after an investigation by the Department of Insurance found he was acting as a licensed insurance agent to collect insurance premium payments from consumers, but pocketing the premium monies and leaving the consumers uninsured. LaGrange was sentenced to one year probation and has paid back full restitution to his victims.
The Department of Insurance revoked LaGrange’s license and his entity license, operating as LaGrange and Associates Inc, and Empire-Valley Insurance Services, in May 2016 after proving that he had overcharged an elderly consumer by collecting earthquake coverage twice and misleading her about the billing. LaGrange even financed her premium with a separate finance company without her knowledge and attempted to re-apply for a new license six months later, but was denied.
In 2019 following a consumer complaint, Department investigators learned that LaGrange was selling commercial liability policies under someone else’s insurance license number and collecting insurance premiums from consumers. LaGrange collected premium payments from two consumers in Lake Arrowhead, one of them being an elderly consumer, but failed to place the coverage and instead kept the money for himself. In order to cover up the theft, LaGrange issued the consumers certificates of insurance, which left them exposed to losses and in great financial risk.
If any consumers have done business with LaGrange or his business and are concerned about their insurance coverage, please contact the Department at 714-712-7600. All consumers can check the license status of their agent or contact the Department of Insurance at 800-927-4357 if they suspect they are victims of insurance fraud.
The San Bernardino County District Attorney’s Office prosecuted this case.
Source: California Department of Insurance
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