LITTLE ROCK – Arkansas Insurance Commissioner Allen Kerr released the following statement following the surrender of Joshua Eric Casada, 45, of Pine Bluff to authorities on warrants in Pulaski County for felony insurance fraud, theft, and forgery obtained by the Department’s Criminal Investigation Division:
“I commend the work of investigators in our Criminal Investigation and Legal divisions that led to the surrender of this man on multiple felony charges. Insurance fraud affects all consumers through higher insurance rates and the Department is committed to investigating and prosecuting violations of the law.”
Casada, owner of the Little Rock-based Casada Insurance Group, surrendered April 12 on a single charge of Theft of Property exceeding $25,000 (Class B Felony), 11 counts of Forgery in the Second Degree (Class C Felony), and 10 counts of committing a Fraudulent Insurance Act (Class D Felony) for incidents occurring from August to October of 2017. He was later transferred to the Pulaski County Regional Detention Facility.
Casada is accused of submitting eleven fictitious and fraudulent premium finance agreements totaling $211,292.70 to the Imperial Premium Finance Corporation (IPFS). The agreements requested premium financing on policies taken out in the name of another insurance company on behalf of some Jefferson County farmers without their knowledge or for entirely fictitious entities. The money was then allegedly deposited in the Casada Insurance Group bank account.
The Arkansas Insurance Department had previously revoked the licenses for Casada and the Casada Insurance Group in December of 2017.
