CFO Jimmy Patronis Announces Arrest in $41,000 Naples Insurance Premium Fraud Scheme
MyFloridaCFO.com, October 26, 2022
NAPLES, Fla. - Today, Chief Financial officer (CFO) Jimmy Patronis announced the arrest of Veronica Skopp, a licensed insurance agent, for the alleged theft of more than $41,000 in insurance premiums and forgery.
CFO Jimmy Patronis said, “Insurance fraud is a costly crime that’s especially heinous when committed by a trusted financial advisor. In this case, the victim was unknowingly left hanging with no insurance coverage, which opened them up to untold liability at no fault of their own. I’m thankful for the hard work of my insurance fraud detectives to bring this alleged fraudster to justice to ensure that no more Floridians are harmed by this scheme. Thank you to the Hollywood Police Department for their assistance and to the Broward County State Attorney’s Office for prosecuting this case and working together to protect Floridians from fraud.”
An investigation by CFO Patronis’ Division of Investigative and Forensic Services (DIFS), Bureau of Insurance Fraud revealed that Skopp had the victim wire $41,418.11 in premium money to her business bank account, which she later indicated that she pocketed for her own personal use. Skopp then provided the victim with a fraudulent Evidence of Commercial Property Insurance Certificate, as well as a fraudulent Certificate of Liability Insurance. When going to refinance the properties, the victim discovered there was no insurance coverage in place on the 31 properties in Naples, Florida. After meeting with DIFS Detectives, Skopp confessed to misappropriating the premiums of the victim and additional consumers, as well as providing the victim with fraudulent documents.
Veronica Skopp was arrested on October 25, 2022, in Hollywood, Florida and booked into the Broward County Jail. The Hollywood Police Department was also on the scene of the arrest. Skopp faces charges of Misappropriation of Funds and Uttering Forged Instruments. If convicted, Skopp could face up to 20 years in prison. The Department’s Division of Insurance Agent & Agency Services will be suspending Skopp’s insurance agent license upon the filing of formal charges. This case will be prosecuted by the Office of the State Attorney of Florida 17th Judicial Circuit.
If you feel you may have fallen victim to this alleged fraud scheme or have further information related to this case, please report it immediately to the Department’s Insurance Fraud Hotline at 1-800-378-0445.
News article: https://myfloridacfo.com/news/pressreleases/details/2022/10/26/SkoppArrest