The State of New Jersey
NJ Department of Banking and Insurance
search  


 

 
Home > Insurance Division > Enforcement Activity
2015 Division of Insurance Enforcement Activity
January > February > March > April > May > June > July > August > September > October > November > December
Please Note: P.L. 2013, c. 259 became effective on July 1, 2014.  This law amended the Administrative Procedure Act, R.S. 52:14B-1 et seq. One of the amendments requires all state agencies to post on their websites all non-confidential final agency orders, decisions and opinions. Accordingly, all such final agency orders or decisions in disciplinary actions issued subsequent to July 1, 2014 may be accessed by clicking on the link within the summaries below. Orders or decisions issued on such matters prior to July 1, 2014 are available upon request to the Division of Insurance.
 
December

Final Order

Karl V. Brown and Guaranteed Bail Bonds, Elizabeth, NJ
Order #E15-126, December 14, 2015
Respondents issued a check for the return of collateral on a bail bond that was dishonored, misappropriated cash collateral paid for a bail bond, misappropriated a check payable to another party, failed to provide business records to the Department, failed to notify the Department of an indictment and conviction and misappropriated bail bond premium.
Sanction: Revocation, Fine - $40,000 against Brown and Guaranteed Bail Bonds, jointly and severally and an additional $10,000 against Brown, individually, Restitution - $114,841 and Costs - $3,625


Orders to Show Cause

Justin Reynolds, Hackettstown, NJ
Order #E15-121, December 8, 2015
Respondent is charged with misleading a client into replacing an annuity and causing the client to pay surrender charges and penalties, with forging an applicant’s signature on an annuity application and related documents, with forging an annuity owner’s name on a letter to an insurance company directing the insurer to transfer funds, with forging an annuity owner’s name and a witness’ name on an annuity withdrawal request, with converting annuity withdrawal proceeds to his personal use on multiple occasions and with failing to respond to Department inquiries.  

Christopher Ritchie and Eagle School Abstract Company, Conshohocken, PA
Order #E15-127, December 21, 2015
Respondents are charged with misappropriating and failing to remit premiums for title insurance policies, with failing to abide by the terms of their agency agreements, with failing to hold premium funds in a fiduciary capacity, with failing to notify the Commissioner of the revocation of Ritchie’s license by Virginia and Maryland and with failing to respond to a Department subpoena.


Consent Orders

Ralph Barrientos, Newark, NJ
Order #E15-123, December 8, 2015
Respondent failed to timely notify the Department of the voluntary surrender in lieu of hearing of his insurance producer license in Virginia.
Sanction: Fine - $1,000

Keith Irvin and United Integrity Group Inc., Quakertown, PA
Order #E15-124, December 8, 2015
Respondents used an insurance mailer which contained statements that improperly suggested that the mailer originated from a government agency and failed to identify the nature of the relationship between the insurance producer and the insurer.
Sanction: Fine - $2,500

Gazel Garces, Paterson, NJ
Order #E15-122, December 8, 2015
Respondent submitted an application for insurance that was not authorized by the proposed applicant and contained a forged signature and incorrect information.
Sanction: Fine - $5,000

LM Insurance Corporation, Liberty Mutual Fire Insurance Co., Liberty Mutual Mid-Atlantic Insurance Co., Excelsior Insurance Co., The Ohio Casualty Insurance Co., West American Insurance Co. and American Fire and Casualty Co., Boston, MA
Order #E15-128, December 21, 2015
Respondents failed to provide the required one page summary of homeowners insurance with policies issued, delivered and renewed on and after May 15, 2015.
Sanction: Fine - $25,000

Oxford Health Insurance, Inc., Shelton, CT, Oxford Health Plans (New Jersey) Inc., Shelton, CT and UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company, Hartford, CT
Order #E15-120, December 2, 2015
The Department found that respondents implemented prior authorization/medical necessity programs for certain prescription drugs that resulted in the denial of medically necessary services, improperly denied inpatient treatment for persons suffering from multiple serious mental illnesses, improperly issued and offered to issue small employer plans with retiree coverage, and improperly delayed in complying with a decision of the Independent Health Care Appeals Program.
Sanction: Fine - $800,000

 
November

Amended Order to Show Cause

First Jersey Insurance Agency, Inc., Gerald Connor and James Blumetti, Freehold, NJ
Order #E15-119, November 24, 2015
Respondents are charged with sending postcards to New Jersey residents captioned “2013 Medicare Update”, which contained inaccurate statements about Medicare Supplement rate increases and failure of Medicare Advantage carriers.

Consent Orders

Maxim Group LLC, New York, NY
Order #E15-117, November 17, 2015
Respondent failed to notify the Commissioner of several actions taken against it by FINRA and incorrectly indicated on two producer license applications that it had not been subject to a FINRA sanction.
Sanction: Fine - $5,000

Kai Chong Cheng, Tenafly, NJ
Order #E15-118, November 24, 2015
Respondent failed to notify the Commissioner of a FINRA sanction.
Sanction: Fine - $1,000

 
October

Final Orders

Carle D’Angelo, Scotch Plains, NJ and Veronica Villa, Clifton, NJ
Order #E15-109, October 2, 2015
Respondents failed to respond to an Order to Show Cause charging them with submitting a backdated application for homeowners insurance following a burglary without revealing the burglary on the application in order to obtain coverage for the stolen items, with lying to the insurer about the reason for requesting the backdating, with lying to the insurer as to who resided in the home, and with lying to the Department in the course of its investigation and charging Mr. D’Angelo with stealing $13,956 in premium.  

Sanctions: As to Respondent D’Angelo – Revocation, Producer Act Fine - $90,000, Fraud Act Fine - $25,000, Attorneys Fees - $19,483, Costs - $7,950, Fraud Act Surcharge - $1,000 and Restitution - $14,089.24

As to Respondent Villa – Fraud Act Fine - $15,000, Attorneys Fees - $2,730.50 and Fraud Act Surcharge - $1,000

Cynthia Ann Van Seeters, Bloomingdale, NJ
Order #E15-114, October 28, 2015
Respondent failed to respond to an Order to Show Cause charging her with writing checks to herself from the account of the insurance agency in which she was employed, with forging her employer’s signature on said checks and converting the money for her personal use, with misappropriating premium, with failing to report a criminal prosecution to the Department, with conviction of a felony and with failing to respond to Department inquiries.
Sanctions: Revocation, Fine - $37,500 and Restitution - $23,193.84

Consent Orders

Barbara Hagerman, Clifton, NJ
Order #E15-108, October 2, 2015
In soliciting clients of her former agency, respondent inaccurately stated that her former agency was going out of business.
Sanction: Fine - $5,000

National Dental Management Group, LLC, Bourne, MA
Order #E15-116, October 29, 2015
Respondent acted as a third party billing service in New Jersey when it was not certified as a third party billing service.
Sanctions: Fine - $1,000

New Jersey Skylands Insurance Association, Winston-Salem, NC
Order #E15-107, October 2, 2015
Respondent failed to provide the required one page summary of homeowners insurance with policies issued, delivered and renewed on and after May 15, 2015.
Sanction: Fine - $25,000

Thaxton Group Inc. and Michael Shea, Tampa, FL
Order #E15-113, October 28, 2015
Respondents secured a surplus lines policy prior to being licensed to write surplus lines business, failed to timely remit premium and deposited premium into an operating account rather than a trust account.
Sanction : Fine - $2,500

Tri-State Public Adjusters Inc. and Ronald Spay, Jr., Wildwood Crest, NJ
Order #E15-111, October 14, 2015
Respondents allowed an unlicensed employee to sign a public adjuster contract, issued two public adjuster contracts that did not contain required terms and provisions, failed to deposit a check for insurance benefits in a premium or trust account and to release any funds to the insured.
Sanction : Fine - $10,000

The Walnut Advisory Corp., Sigmar Hessing and Ariel Hessing, Warren, NJ
Order #E15-115, October 28, 2015
Respondents failed to timely remit premiums, commingled premium trust funds with operating funds and did not maintain proper records.  Respondent Walnut Advisory Group provided inaccurate and incomplete statements on an insurance claim.

Sanctions: As to Sigmar Hessing – Revocation

As to all Respondents – Producer Act Fine - $100,000, Fraud Act Fine - $5,000, Fraud Act Surcharge - $250
 
September

Final Orders

Robert I. Berlin, Manalapan, NJ
Order #E15-102, September 9, 2015 and E15-105, September 15, 2015
Respondent knowingly understated applicants’ ages on annuity applications and other correspondence of 100 times and misrepresented the material terms of annuity contracts to induce senior citizens to purchase annuities.
Sanction: Revocation, Fine - $1,480,000

Citizens Public Adjusters Inc. and Jerome Joseph Sacco, Sr., Bensalem, PA
Order #E15-100, September 2, 2015
Respondents misappropriated insurance loss payments from multiple clients and failed to report administrative action taken against them by the Pennsylvania Insurance Department.
Sanction: Revocation, Fine - $30,000, Costs - $812.50


Orders to Show Cause

Wayne M. Citron, Marlboro, NJ
Order #E15-104, September 10, 2015
Respondent is charged with failing to notify the Department of the revocation of his New York insurance producer license, with acting as a public adjuster without being licensed as a public adjuster, with making a statement as part of or in support of a claim knowing that the statement contains false or misleading information, with failing to disclose the revocation of his New York producer license on an application for an insurance agent license, with failing to notify the Department of disciplinary action taken against him by the Louisiana Department of Insurance, with failing to notify the Department of his indictment for insurance fraud and attempted theft by deception, and with falsely indicating on his license renewal application that he was not charged with commission of a felony.

Frank J. Cotroneo, Allenwood, PA
Order #E15-103, September 10, 2015
Respondent is charge d with misappropriation of funds from the Perth Amboy Board of Education, with making fraudulent misrepresentations to an insurance carrier, and with failing to notify the Commissioner of criminal prosecutions.

Juan Huaman, Elizabeth, NJ
Angel L. Acevedocarrero, Plainfield and South Plainfield, NJ
Karla V. Rojas-Illescas, Union City, NJ
Order #E15-99, September 2, 2015
Respondent Huaman is charged with soliciting for a company before he was appointed by the company, respondents Acevedocarrero and Rojas-Illescas are charged with submitting applications solicited by respondent Huaman before he was appointed by the company and with failing to witness the signatures of the applicants on the applications.


Consent Orders

Freelancers Consumer Operated and Oriented Program of New Jersey, Inc., Newark, NJ
Order #E15-106, September 17, 2015
Respondent issued health benefits plans that did contain more than one drug to treat each covered disease state in the most preferred tier of its drug formulary, issued health benefit plans with excessive network copayments for outpatient mental health/substance abuse treatment and therapeutic manipulation, failed to issue individual and small employer health benefit plans contracts and certificates compliant with the terms of the standard individual and small employer plans, failed to provide a 96-hour supply of prescription drugs that require prior approval but for which prior approval was not secured, and used a nongroup enrollment form that did not include information regarding pediatric dental coverage.
Sanction: Fine - $450,000

Nancy Ziering and Madison Financial Aid Consultants, LLC, Chatham, NJ
Order #E15-101, September 3, 2015
Respondents used inappropriate and deceptive methods in the sale of insurance and annuity products to parents of college-bound students under the guise of college planning and funding services, used misleading and deceptive advertisements, business cards and websites, conducted solicitations without disclosing licensure as an insurance producer, and failed to explain the material terms, benefits and detriments of the insurance products being sold.
Sanction: Revocation, Fine - $145,000

 
August

Final Orders

Miriam Charles, West Orange, NJ
Order #E15-97, August 28, 2015
Respondent improperly misappropriated premium on ten occasions totaling $4,045.40, failed to notify the Department of formal criminal charges filed against her and failed to respond to Department inquiries.
Sanction: Revocation, Fine - $15,000, Costs - $212.50

Shawn Wilson, Sr., Bridgeton and Galloway, NJ
4 Brothers Bail Bondsman, Galloway and Perth Amboy, NJ
Order #E15-98, August 31, 2015
Respondents failed to return a bail bond premium when bail was not posted and issued a check for the return of the bail bond premium which was returned for insufficient funds.
Sanction: Revocation, Fine - $15,000, Costs - $1,350, Restitution - $10,000


Superior Court Order for Final Judgment

Samuel R. Ellison, Atco, NJ and SREA Associates, Ltd., Atco, NJ
Docket No. CAM-DC-008607-14, June 23, 2015
Respondents failed to respond to a summons and complaint charging them with acting as public adjusters without a license.
Sanction: Fine - $2,500, Attorneys’ Fees - $3,527


Conditional Order Revoking License

International Benefits Administrator, LLC, Garden City, NY
Order #E15-96, August 20, 2015
Respondent failed to file any part of its 2014 annual report
Sanction: Revocation, subject to retroactive reinstatement, if within 30 days, respondent files the 2014 annual statement and pays a fine of $5,000.


Consent Orders

David Dallmer and David Dallmer Public Adjusters, LLC, Lumberton, NJ
Order #E15-94, August 10, 2015
Respondent David Dallmer Public Adjusters, LLC acted as a public adjuster without a license and with misrepresented its license status, both respondents misappropriated insurance proceeds and deposited insurance funds into an account other than an interest bearing escrow account
Sanction: Revocation, Fine - $15,000

GMed, Inc., Weston, FL
Order #E15-92, August 6, 2015
Respondent acted as a third party billing service when it was not certified as a third party billing service.
Sanction: Fine - $1,000

Ramon Gil-Samaniego and INS Solutions Center LLC, Tuscon, AZ
Order #E15-93, August 10, 2015
Respondents prepared and issued an advertisement that failed to identify the name of the insurer, the type of plan and the name of the annuity product.
Sanction: Fine - $1,000

Life Partners, Inc., Waco, TX
Order #E15-95, August 24, 2015
Respondent, a viatical settlement provider, and its parent company filed for protection under chapter 11 of the US Bankruptcy Code after respondent’s parent company, respondent’s chief executive officer and respondent’s president were found to have violated the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934 and ordered to disgorge and pay civil penalties of $47 million.
Sanction: Revocation

 
July

Final Orders

Associates Title, LLC, Harleysville, PA, Stacey Trautweiler, Harleysville, PA, and Kelly Dicapua, Jackson, NJ
Order #E15-89, July 30, 2013
Respondents failed to respond to an order to show cause charging them with theft of escrow funds in multiple cases by failing to pay property taxes following a closing, failing to pay recording fees for the deed and mortgage in another closing and failing to pay a federal tax lien in another closing, with failing to remit premium to NJ Title for at least 50 title insurance policies, with failing to submit required monthly reports to NJ Title and with failing to respond to Department inquiries.

Sanction: Charges as to Kelly Dicapua are dismissed
As to Associates Title, LLC and Stacey Trautweiler – Revocation, Fine - $305,000, Costs - $2,175

Susan Caines, East Orange, NJ
Order #E15-66, July 1, 2015
Respondent failed to respond to an order to show cause charging her with fraudulently surrendering multiple in force life insurance policies, forging policyholder signatures on disbursement request forms and cash surrender checks, criminal conviction of theft by deception, misappropriating insurance proceeds, failing to report criminal charges and convictions, lying on the producer license renewal application, and working as an insurance producer without obtaining the written consent of the Commissioner.
Sanction: Revocation, Fine -$47,500 (Producer Act violations) and $2,500 (Fraud Act violations), Restitution = $26,906.75, Costs - $287.50, Fraud Act Surcharge - $1,000

Richard Fischer, Parsippany, NJ, Personalized Insurance Planning, LLC, Parsippany, NJ and Christine Dix, Spotswood, NJ
Order #E15-77, July 17, 2015
Respondents submitted an application for small employer health coverage and related documents that they knew contained false information as to the number of employees of the applicant and their work location.

Sanction: As to all respondents: Revocation, Costs - $262.50
As to Richard Fischer and Personalized Insurance Planning, LLC: Fine - $15,000
As to Christine Dix: Fine - $5,000 (Producer Act violations) and $5,000 (Fraud Act violations), Fraud Act surcharge - $1,000 and Attorneys’ Fees - $6,732

Walter Lacey, Lawnside, NJ, Carmen Mason, Camden, NJ, Carmen LeBron, Lawrenceville, GA and Platinum Title & Abstract Agency LLC, Lawnside and Camden, NJ
Order #E15-69, July 1, 2015
Respondents failed to respond to an order to show cause charging them with misappropriating $1,500 held in escrow as part of a closing and failing to respond to Department inquiries.

Sanction:

As to all respondents: Revocation, Costs - $275
As to Platinum Title & Abstract Agency LLC, Walter Lacey and Carmen Mason, Restitution - $1,500
As to Platinum Title & Abstract Agency LLC: Fine - $6,000
As to Walter Lacey: Fine - $6,000
As to Carmen Mason: Fine - $6,000
As to Carmen LeBron: Fine - $1,000

Quinton Long, Cinnaminson, NJ
Order #E15-85, July 28, 2015
Respondent failed to respond to an order to show cause charging him with forging client signatures on insurance documents.
Sanction – Revocation, Fine - $9,500 (Producer Act violations) and $2,500 (Fraud Act violations), Costs - $200 and Fraud Act surcharge - $1,000


Amended Final Order

Edward Furfey, Pennington, NJ, Jeffrey Gibbs, Princeton, NJ and Clear Advantage Title, Inc., Pennington, NJ
Order #E15-80, July 20, 2015
This order amends Order #E14-140 to dismiss the charges against Jeffrey Barker Gibbs.


Orders to Show Cause

Shannon Bellamy, Sicklerville, NJ and Advocate Public Adjusters, Clementon, NJ
Order #E15-75, July 16, 2015
Respondents are charged with entering into public adjuster contracts before Advocate Public Adjusters was licensed, entering into multiple contracts within the prohibited 6 p.m. to 8 a.m. period after the loss, using contracts that did not contain the required terms, failing to sign public adjuster contracts and charging excessive fees by applying their percentage to not only the benefit payment but also to the amount that was unpaid due to deductible and depreciation (which in six cases resulted in the public adjuster fee exceeding the benefit paid) and by charging an additional fee to recover depreciation.

Edward Cenneno and Phoenix Bail Bonds, Browns Mills and Mount Holly, NJ
Order #E15-70, July 1, 2015
Respondents are charged with failing to remit premium on 206 bail bonds, failing to account for six powers of attorney, failing to pay judgments on 53 forfeited bail bonds that resulted in judgments against them and failing to respond to multiple Department inquiries.  

Jeffrey Clendenny, Randolph, NJ
Order #E15-79, July 17, 2015
Respondent is charged with failing to reveal prior losses on two applications for business insurance, submitting falsified loss runs to insurance companies, and inducing the insured to sign a letter with false information that respondent submitted to the Department.

Fidelity Security Life Insurance Company, Kansas City, MO
Order #E15-83, July 28, 2015
Respondents are charged with issuing individual health benefits plans that do not comply with the Individual Health Coverage Act.

First Jersey Insurance Agency, Inc., James Blumetti
and Gerald Conner, Freehold, NJ
Order #E15-82, July 20, 2015
Respondents are charged with sending postcards to New Jersey residents captioned “2013 Medicare Update”, which contained inaccurate statements about Medicare Supplement rate increases and failure of Medicare Advantage carriers.

Paul Vinci, New York, NY
Order #E15-72, July 1, 2015
Respondent is charged with working for a producer while his license was suspended.


Amended Order to Show Cause

Catarina Young and Elite Benefits, Metuchen, NJ
Order #E15-81, July 20, 2015
Respondents are charged with enrolling Ms. Young’s parents in a multiple employer health plan when they were not eligible for such coverage and misappropriating $462,341.78 from the multiple employer health plan.  The Order to Show Cause is amended to specify that respondents are subject to a total maximum penalty of $1,035,000 for Producer Act violations and $15,000 for Fraud Act violations.


Consent Orders

Keith Basile, Rockville Center, NY
Order #E15-86, July 28, 2015
Respondent sold a policy in this state one month before he became licensed as a nonresident producer.
Sanction: Fine - $1,000

Daniel Carnicella, Nutley, NJ
Order #E15-67, July 1, 2015
Respondent solicited insurance using a business entity name that did not have a producer license.
Sanction: Fine - $1,000

Phyllis Daniel, Oak Ridge, NJ
Order #E15-87, July 30, 2015
Respondent forged an insured’s name on two claim checks and misappropriated the claim proceeds.
Sanction: Revocation, Fine - $22,500, Restitution - $318,240.37

Jennifer Edwards, Waterford, NJ
Order #E15-68, July 7, 2015
Respondent submitted 13 applications that had misleading information and were not authorized by the purported applicants, deposited premium into her personal bank account and then paid the premium with her personal credit card.
Sanction: Revocation

Hospitality Supportive Systems, LLC, Springfield, PA
Order #E15-84, July 28, 2015
Respondent operated as a purchasing group prior to being registered with the Department and issued coverage where the deductible or self-insured retention was not the sole responsibility of the individual members of the purchasing group.
Sanction: Fine - $160,000

Marcus Jones, Perth Amboy, NJ
Order #E15-74, July 16, 2015
Respondent included incorrect garaging addresses on multiple new automobile insurance applications submitted to an insurance company.
Sanction: Revocation

Michael Oppenhein, Livingston, NJ
Order #E15-78, July 17, 2015
Respondent failed to notify the Commissioner of criminal charges filed against him.
Sanction: Revocation

Quality Healthcare Resources, Lakewood, NJ
Order #E15-71, July 1, 2015
Respondent operated as a third party billing service prior to being certified by the Commissioner.
Sanction: Fine - $1,000

Solomon Weinstein and American Agency Services Inc., Pennsauken, NJ
Order #E15-88, July 30, 2015
Mr. Weinstein signed and submitted an automobile insurance application that did not identify all drivers, did not accurately list the garage location for one of the vehicles, and falsely indicated that none of the vehicles were kept at school.
Sanction: Charges as to American Agency Services Inc., are dismissed
As to Solomon Weinstein: Revocation, Fine - $10,000 for Producer Act violations and $9,000 for Fraud Act violations, Fraud Act surcharge - $450, Attorneys’ Fees -$550
 
June

Final Order

Secure Title, Inc. and Christopher Hilderbrandt, Toms River, NJ
Order #E15-57, June 4, 2015
Respondents misappropriated funds they held in escrow following a real estate closing, failed to maintain separate records of funds held in escrow, commingled escrow funds with other funds and failed to respond to Department inquiries.
Sanction: Revocation, Fine - $17,000, Costs - $887.50 and Restitution -$5,523


Orders to Show Cause

Mordechai Rubin, Brooklyn, NY and Lakewood, NJ
Order #E15-63, June 17, 2015
Respondent is charged with offering money to an individual to apply for a life insurance policy for which the applicant would not pay premium and would be owned for only two years, with submitting an application for said individual that contained untrue and misleading information as to the individual’s net worth and unearned income, with forging the applicant’s name on the insurance application and with failing to respond to Department inquiries.


Cynthia Ann Van Seeters,
Bloomingdale, NJ
Order #E15-58, June 9, 2015
Respondent is charged with writing checks to herself from the account of the insurance agency in which she was employed, with forging her employer’s signature on said checks and converting the money for her personal use, with misappropriating premium, with failing to report a criminal prosecution to the Department, with conviction of a felony and with failing to respond to Department inquiries.


Consent Orders

Karl V. Brown, Carteret, NJ
Order #E15-62, June 17, 2015
Respondent failed to timely return collateral following dismissal of criminal charges for two individuals and failed to maintain complete records of the two bail bonds whose collateral was not timely returned.
Sanction: Fine - $2,500


Lincoln National Life Insurance Company,
Greensboro, NC
Order #E15-64, June 17, 2015
Respondent issued annuity contracts without providing the required annuity disclosure statement.
Sanction: Fine - $10,000

William R. Mints Agency, Millville, NJ
Order #E15-59, June 8, 2015
Respondent established a bank account for the deposit of premium without designating the account as a trust account and without having the phrase “trust account” appear on the face of the checks.
Sanction - $1,000

Mark Daniel Murphy, Landenburg, PA
Order #E15-61, June 12, 2015
Respondent completed and submitted false and unauthorized applications for insurance.
Sanction: Revocation

Alduha Sadat Safforld, Brooklyn, NY
Order #E15-55, June 2, 2015
Respondent submitted a life insurance application that did not contain the genuine signature of the insured, falsely stated that he was present and witnessed the insured’s signing of two applications when he did not, and falsely stated that the application was signed in New Jersey when it was signed by the applicant in New York.
Sanction: Revocation

Scott Scelso and Seleznov Adjustment Bureau of NJ, LLC, Berlin, NJ
Order #E15-56, June 2, 2015
Respondent entered into public adjuster service contracts that did not contain the required terms and that did not show the time the contracts were executed, and entered into one public adjuster service contract prior to 8:00 am during the 24 hour period after the loss occurred.
Sanction: Fine - $2,500

Steven Suib, Chester Springs and Malvern, PA
Order #E15-54, June 2, 2015
Respondent completed a suitability form for an applicant that misrepresented her financial information, transacted business under a name that was not registered or approved and failed to report to the Commissioner a fine levied by another state.
Sanction: Fine - $5,000

 
May

Orders to Show Cause

Citizens Public Adjusters Inc. and Jerome Sacco, Sr., Bensalem, PA
Order #E15-46, May 5, 2015
Respondents are charged with misappropriating insurance loss payments from multiple clients and with failing to report to the Department administrative action taken against them by the Pennsylvania Insurance Department.


Dominick Costa,
Summit, NJ
Order #E15-50, May 11, 2015
Respondent is charged with collecting unauthorized and fraudulent policy initiation fees, with charging fees without a written agreement, with issuing fictitious and inaccurate certificates of insurance and automobile identification cards, with creating unauthorized cancellation requests and forging the policyholder’s signature on such requests and with misappropriation of premium.


Consent Orders

Domicile Consultants and Willie Hopkins, Burlington, NJ
Order #E15-45, May 5, 2015
Respondents acted as public adjusters without being licensed as public adjusters.
Sanction: Fine - $1,000

Louis Macaluso and Affinity Title Agency, Inc., Delmont, NJ
Order #E15-47, May 5, 2015
Respondents misappropriated $2.6 million of escrow funds, failed to disburse settlement funds, failed to deliver title insurance policies and failed to notify the Department of a change of address.
Sanction: Revocation, Fine - $175,000


PARK Medical Billing, Inc.,
Fort Lee, NJ
Order #E15-51, May 12, 2015
Respondent acted as a third party billing service when it was not certified by the Commissioner as a third party billing service.
Sanction: Fine - $2,000

 
April

Final Order

Francis X. Gartland, Baltimore, MD and Fort Dix, NJ, Federal Risk Management LLC, Fort Dix, NJ and Gartland & Company of New Jersey LLC, Fort Dix, NJ
Order #E15-33, April 8, 2015
Respondents failed to respond to an Order to Show Cause charging them with conviction of mail fraud by paying bribes and kickbacks of at least $3,360,000 to the Toms River Superintendent in return for the school district’s insurance business, with conviction of conspiracy to violate the federal election campaign laws through the use of straw donors, with conviction of theft by deception by accepting $216,495 from Perth Amboy for insurance coverage and services that were not provided, with conviction of financial facilitation of criminal activity by charging $2,593,400 in fees to the Perth Amboy Board of Education for non-existent healthcare services, with forging the signature of the President of the Perth Amboy Board of Education, and with failing to notify the Department of the various indictments and convictions.
Sanctions: Revocation, Fine - $275,000 and Costs - $137.50


Order to Show Cause

Catarina Young and Elite Benefits Corp., Metuchen, NJ
Order #E15-44, April 28, 2015
Respondent is charged with enrolling her parents in a multiple employer health plan when they were not eligible for such coverage and misappropriating $462,341.78 from the multiple employer health plan.


Amended Order to Show Cause

Carle D’Angelo, Elizabeth, NJ and Veronica Villa, Elizabeth, NJ
Order #E15-31, April 8, 2015
Respondents are charged with submitting a backdated application for homeowners insurance following a burglary without revealing the burglary on the application in order to obtain coverage for the stolen items, with lying to the insurer about the reason for requesting the backdating, with lying to the insurer as to who resided in the home, and with lying to the Department in the course of its investigation.  Mr. DeAngelo is also charged with stealing $13,956 in premium.  


Consent Orders

Assurance Medical Billing, LLC, Holmdel, NJ
Order #E15-41, April 23, 2015
Respondent acted as a third party billing service when it was not certified as a third party billing service.
Sanction: Fine - $1,000


Colonial Remodeling
, Fairfax, VA
Order #E15-42, April 28, 2015
Respondent is not licensed as a public adjuster and advertised that it worked with insurance companies to obtain claim recovery, is an insurance recovery expert and works directly with insurance companies in restoring and repairing homes.
Sanction: Fine - $1,000


Justin Diaczuk, Philadelphia, PA
Order #E15-35, April 8, 2015
Respondent failed to report to the Department and to disclose on his producer license application that he was banned from telemarketing and from selling any type of credit card product or service and ordered to pay $7,552,473 in restitution by the Federal Trade Commission and failed to notify the Department that he was convicted of conspiracy to commit mail fraud, mail fraud and aiding and abetting mail fraud.
Sanction: Revocation


Marsh & McLennan Agency LLC, New York, NY and Charles Pessagno, Mount Laurel, NJ
Order #E15-39, April 20, 2015
Respondents gave gifts of sporting event, concert and golf tournament tickets worth in excess of $25 to persons employed by in-force policyholders.
Sanction: Fine imposed on Marsh - $50,000, Fine imposed on Pessagno - $100,000


Natalie Mera, Weehawken, NJ
Order #E15-40, April 23, 2015
Respondent applied for insurance coverage for an employer without the employer’s knowledge or consent, forged the employer signature on the application, enrolled individuals who were not employees, falsely indicated on the enrollment forms that the individuals were employees, provided false information to an investigator of the insurance company and failed to notify the Department of her indictment for forgery.
Sanctions: Revocation, Producer Act Fine - $5,000, Fraud Act Fine - $5,000, Fraud Surcharge - $250, Costs - $1,000 and Attorneys’ Fees - $1,000


Meredith Miller, Brick, NJ, and Spectrum Title Agency, LLC, Brick, NJ
Order #E15-34, April 8, 2015
Respondents engaged in multiple instances of escrow theft.
Sanction: Revocation, Fine - $5,000


Alan Neafach, Smyra, GA
Order #E15-38, April 17, 2015
Respondent failed to properly supervise a producer who sold insurance policies to parents of college-bound high students as college funding vehicles which were not suitable for that purpose.
Sanction: Revocation, Fine - $20,000


Precision Medical Information Systems, LLC, Wantage, NJ
Order #E15-32, April 8, 2015
Respondent acted as a third party billing service when it was not certified as a third party billing service.
Sanction: Fine - $1,000


Romarke Insurance Brokerage LLC, Kelly Bolton, Robert Miller, Hyannis, MA
Order #E15-43, April 28, 2015
Respondents placed a risk in the surplus lines market when they did not have surplus lines authority and with respect to Ms. Bolton, when she was not licensed as a producer in New Jersey.
Sanction: Fine - $7,500
 
March

Orders to Show Cause

Michael Burt, Brick, NJ, Lawrence Chrebet, Matawan, NJ and Metro Public Adjustment Inc., Bensalem, PA
Order #E15-26, March 12, 2015
Respondents are charged with asking a plumber to write a false cause of water damage on an invoice, with offering the plumber $50 if he would falsely state the cause of the water damage when contacted by the insurance company, and with including the false invoice in an estimate submitted to an insurance company.


Metro Public Adjustment Inc.
, Bensalem, PA, Harold Wells, Bensalem, PA, Steven McCaffrey, Bensalem, PA, and Arnold Grodzinski, Bensalem, PA
Order #E15-25, March 12, 2015
Respondents are charged with using a public adjuster contract that did not contain required terms, with failing to provide insureds with a detailed written summary of the work performed or a copy of their estimate of damages, with charging fees that were not reasonably related to services, and with suing insureds for fees after advising the Department that the fees were waived.


Consent Orders

Ameritas Life Insurance Corp, Lincoln, NE
Order #E15-23, March 9, 2015
Respondent was charged with having agents that sold its products in an unfair, deceptive, misleading and/or fraudulent manner. Respondent did not admit the charges, but agreed to remediate in settlement of the charges against the insurer.
Sanction: Offer of penalty-free rescission to active, lapsed and surrendered policyholders, up to $2,524,290.12


John Anderson, Red Bank, NJ
Order #E15-28, March 18, 2015
Respondent sold two Medicare supplement health insurance policies when his license was expired and failed to respond to Department inquiries.
Sanction: Fine - $3,000


Comprehensive Healthcare Solutions, LLC, Lakewood, NJ
Order #E15-22, March 3, 2015
Respondent acted as a third party billing service when it was not certified as a third party billing service.
Sanction: Fine - $1,000

Otterstedt Insurance Agency, Inc., Englewood Cliffs, NJ
Order #E15-27, March 18, 2015
Respondent employed a producer whose license was suspended.
Sanction: Fine - $5,000

Lisa Vito, Point Pleasant, NJ
Order #E15-24, March 11, 2015
Respondent failed to timely remit premium and timely return unearned insurance premium.
Sanction: Fine - $5,000

 
February

Order to Show Cause

Steven Suib, Chester Springs, Pennsylvania
Order #E15-19, February 25, 2015
Respondent is charged with completing a suitability form for an applicant and misrepresenting her financial information on the form, transacting business under a name that is not registered or approved, and with failing to report to the Commissioner a fine levied by another state.

Amended Order to Show Cause

Lisa Mohen, Brian Mohen and Arden Financial Services, Inc., Spring Lake, NJ
Order #E15-14, February 6, 2015
Respondents are charged with unlawfully withdrawing premium funds held in a trust account, commingling premium and non-premium funds and using the commingled funds to pay personal expenses, with premium defalcation, conversion and misappropriation, with failure to timely remit premium totaling $772,782.22, with bouncing a check to an insurer for premium, with acting as a producer without a license and with conviction of misapplication of entrusted property and failure to file tax returns.



Consent Orders

Arthur Bernaducci, Brick, NJ
Order #E15-18, February 25, 2015
Respondent transacted business using a business name that was not filed with or approved by the Department.
Sanction: Fine - $2,500

David Chapman,
Holmdel, NJ
Order #E15-15, February 10, 2015
Respondent applied for reinstatement of an automobile policy that had lapsed for a policyholder he through was displaced by Superstorm Sandy by signing the policyholder’s name to the reinstatement application and submitting a no loss letter when the policyholder was deceased.
Sanction: Fine - $7,500

Alexander Huaman,
Elizabeth, NJ
Order #E15-16, February 13, 2015
Respondent allowed a person other than the applicant to complete and sign a Medicare Advantage application form, misrepresented to the Department that the applicant did complete and sign the application and failed to respond to Department inquiries.
Sanction: Fine - $10,000

 
January

Final Orders

Weiran Dobrek and Thomas Dobrek, Bordentown, NJ
Order #E15-09, January 15, 2015
Wieran Dobrek, a licensed producer, falsely stated on her automobile insurance application that she was single and lived alone, falsely stated to her automobile insurance company that she was driving the insured vehicle at the time of the accident when her husband, Thomas, was the driver, and failed to report to the Department a consent order she entered into with the Office of Insurance Fraud Prosecutor.  Thomas Dobrek misrepresented himself as Weiran Dobrek when speaking with the automobile insurance company and conspired with Weiran Dobrek to provide false information to an automobile insurance carrier in support of a claim.
Sanctions:    
Weiran Dobrek - Revocation, Fine (Producer Act Violations) - $7,500, and Costs - $675;
Thomas Dobrek – Fine (Fraud Act Violations) - $5,000, Fraud Surcharge - $1,000 and Attorneys’ Fees - $3,623.50


Orders to Show Cause

Solomon Weinstein and American Agency Services Inc., Pennsauken, NJ
Order #E15-11, January 20, 2015
Respondents are charged with signing and submitting an automobile insurance application that did not identify all drivers, did not accurately list the garage location for one of the vehicles, and falsely indicated that none of the vehicles were kept at school.


Consent Orders

Bell Consulting, LLC, Monroe Township, NJ
Order #E15-05, January 6, 2015
Respondent acted as a third party billing service prior to being certified by the Commissioner.
Sanction: Fine - $1,000

Kellar Covington Jr., Brooklyn, NY and Kellar Tax Services, Hillside, NJ
Order #E15-06, January 9, 2015
Respondents were convicted of tax fraud based on their willful assistance in the preparation of a false income tax return and failed to advise the Commissioner of the criminal charges and conviction.
Sanction: Revocation

Michael Gavlick and Sunshine Adjustment, Palm Harbor, FL
Order #E15-03, January 6, 2015
Respondent Sunshine Adjustment entered into 207 public adjuster contracts when it was not licensed as a public adjuster in New Jersey although Respondent Gavlick was licensed.
Sanction: Fine - $2,500

Lauren Guastella, Bridgewater, NJ
Order #E15-02, January 6, 2015
Respondent forged the name of one insured on a policy delivery receipt, forged the names of two other insured on life insurance application and replacement forms and failed to respond to Department inquiries.
Sanction: Revocation

Thomas O’Leary, Morgantown, WV
Order #E15-04, January 6, 2015
Respondent was convicted of conspiracy to defraud the Federal Election Committee, admitted bribing government officials by donating to their political campaigns to maintain insurance contracts sold to the City of Perth Amboy and the Perth Amboy Board of Education, failed to notify the Department of his indictment and conviction, and was also convicted of federal tax evasion by concealing income he was paid for selling insurance business to the City of Perth Amboy.
Sanctions – Revocation, Fine - $5,000

Patriot Land Transfer, LLC,
Turnersville, NJ
Order #E15-08, January 13, 2015
Respondent opened a branch office using a business name that was not registered with and approved by the Commissioner.
Sanction: Fine -$1,000

Rider Insurance Company, Springfield, NJ
Order #E15-07, January 13, 2015
Respondent reclassified motorcycle types from regular to sport without filing the requisite change to its rating system, on at least three occasions filed and obtained the Department’s approval of changes that affected a schedule, class, classification, rule, guide, standard, manual, table, rating plan and/or compilation that would have decreased rates or provided additional benefits for some insureds and the company failed to implement said changes, and implemented a transfer discount revision without filing the requisite change to its rating system.  
Sanction: Fine - $50,000, Restitution - $52,700

Suburban General Insurance Agency, Paramus, NJ
Order #E15-13, January 28, 2015
Respondent entered into fee agreements which did not comply with N.J.A.C. 11:17B-3.1.
Sanction: Fine - $2,500

Mark Trudel, Downington, PA and GMI NA Inc., Phoenixville, PA
Order #E15-01, January 6, 2015
Respondents failed to notify an insured or its broker that a vehicle had been determined by the insurer to be ineligible for coverage and had been deleted from the policy and accepted business from an unauthorized broker.
Sanctions: Fine - $5,000, Restitution - $7,731

 
OPRA
OPRA is a state law that was enacted to give the public greater access to government records maintained by public agencies in New Jersey.
line
Adobe Acrobat
You will need to download the latest version of Adobe Acrobat Reader in order to correctly view and print PDF (Portable Document Format) files from this web site.
state seal
Copyright © 2011, State of New Jersey
New Jersey Department of Banking and Insurance