Florida Arrests Unlicensed Agent in Fake Insurance Scheme: Lead Suspect Barred From the Business Since 2002
Florida Chief Financial Officer Blaise Ingoglia announced on October 27 that the Department of Financial Services' Criminal Investigations Division has arrested unlicensed insurance agent Yaudat Antonio Ohan and his accomplice Alberto Villaruel. The two allegedly sold a construction company workers' compensation coverage that did not exist — even though Ohan has been permanently barred from holding an insurance agent license in Florida since 2002.
The investigation began when a flooring construction company submitted two certificates of insurance (COIs) to a DFS compliance officer. The named carrier confirmed it had never sold the policies: the company had paid $10,500 for coverage that was never in force. Investigators determined that Ohan, 52, of Hialeah, had been operating as an agent inside a licensed insurance agency despite the lifetime bar.
Ohan was arrested on September 28 and charged with conspiracy to commit racketeering, organized scheme to defraud, grand theft, uttering a forged instrument, unlawful use of a telecommunications device, transacting insurance without a license, and insurance funds diversion; court records show he has pleaded not guilty. Villaruel, a licensed property and casualty agent who served as the agency's agent-in-charge, allegedly knowingly allowed Ohan to provide fraudulent coverage; he was arrested on October 20 and charged with grand theft, organized scheme to defraud, and conspiracy to commit racketeering. The case will be prosecuted by the Miami-Dade State Attorney's Office.
"Floridians' insurance policies are meant to protect them, not fund criminals' bank accounts. Insurance fraud is a crime tax on law-abiding Floridians, and I will not stand for that cost to be passed onto Florida families," Ingoglia said. As a consequence of the scheme, the construction company was also issued a stop-work order for failing to carry workers' compensation coverage for its employees.
DFS advises employers to verify coverage directly with the carrier after receiving a certificate of insurance rather than relying solely on paperwork from an agent. Suspected insurance fraud can be reported to the department's hotline at 1-800-378-0445. (Source: Florida Department of Financial Services news release, October 27, 2026)
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：迈阿密市政厅外景（资料图）。Phillip Pessar 摄，CC BY 2.0，经 Wikimedia Commons。 / Miami City Hall (file photo). Photo by Phillip Pessar, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
