A 49-year-old Laguna Beach insurance agent was arraigned Monday on suspicion of stealing over $62,000 in insurance premiums from contractors and small business owners, the California Department of Insurance said.
Multiple consumer complaints alleged that Erin Lee McCarroll, who conducted business under Erin McCarroll Insurance Service, between June 2017 and November 2019 accepted premium payments and used the funds for her expenses. On Monday, McCarroll pled not guilty to 27 felony charges, including grand theft and forgery, Orange County Superior Court records show.
An investigation by the Department of Insurance revealed that McCarroll allegedly failed to place insurance coverage for general liability policies and workers’ compensation insurance coverage, leaving at least 10 clients unaware they were vulnerable to uncovered claims and potential financial losses.
McCarroll reportedly deceived her clients by producing fake certificates of insurance, leading victims to believe they had successfully received the insurance policies they purchased from her, officials from the state agency said.
