Friday, August 8, 2014
OKLAHOMA CITY – A former insurance agent in Creek County has been sentenced to 120 days in jail for embezzling premium payments from elderly clients. Donna Laverne Parrick, 50, pleaded guilty to six counts of embezzlement and also received a ten-year deferred sentence for each count. The punishment stems from a 2012 investigation by the Oklahoma Insurance Department (OID).
“One of our top priorities is protecting consumers and we take that duty very seriously,” said Oklahoma Insurance Commissioner John D. Doak. “Our Anti-Fraud Unit aggressively investigates claims of fraud and will go after anyone who thinks Oklahoma seniors are an easy target. I applaud their hard work on this case. I also appreciate the hard work of the Creek County District Attorney’s Office.”
The Oklahoma Insurance Department began investigating Parrick after receiving a complaint from the daughter of an 80-year-old woman who had purchased a homeowners policy from Parrick but never received a copy of the policy. After calling the insurance company, the woman discovered that her mother’s home insurance policy had never actually been purchased. Anti-Fraud investigators found that Parrick pocketed the 80-year-old’s premium payment along with several others, including those from a 77-year-old widow and a 70-year-old woman.
Parrick, of Depew, has already paid $10,927 in restitution. She must also pay fines, fees and court costs totaling $2,687. Parrick’s insurance license was revoked in November 2012.
About the Oklahoma Insurance Department
The Oklahoma Insurance Department, an agency of the State of Oklahoma, is responsible for the education and protection of the insurance-buying public and for oversight of the insurance industry in the state.
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For more information contact:
Kelly Collins Dexter
(405) 522-0683