Department detectives arrest former La Quinta insurance agent for theft and embezzlement
News: 2022 Press Release
RIVERSIDE, Calif. — California Department of Insurance detectives arrested former insurance agent Ceaser Guadalupe Salazar, 36, of La Quinta, this week on multiple counts of identity theft, grand theft, and embezzlement after he allegedly submitted over 60 fraudulent insurance applications with stolen identities to gain over $20,000 in undeserved commissions.
After receiving notice from Salazar’s former employer that he had been terminated because of suspected fraud in April 2019, the Department began an investigation. The investigation found Salazar submitted 10 fraudulent policy applications for life insurance to that employer and received unearned commissions on seven of the fraudulent policies.
Through a search warrant for Salazar’s bank account and witness interviews, further investigation found that Salazar was working for another life insurance company at the same time and using a similar scheme to collect more undeserved commissions. While working for the second company, Salazar allegedly filed 56 fraudulent life insurance policy applications from March 2019 through July 2019 and received unearned commissions on 47 of those fraudulent applications. None of the 56 policy applications submitted by Salazar ever became active policies.
The investigation found that Salazar collected $20,033 in advanced commissions through the submission of fraudulent life insurance policy applications to the two life insurance companies where he formerly was employed.
Salazar’s license expired on June 30, 2019. His next scheduled court date is June 13, 2022, in downtown Riverside at the Riverside Hall of Justice. The Riverside County District Attorney’s Office is prosecuting this case.
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Led by Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara, the California Department of Insurance is the consumer protection agency for the nation's largest insurance marketplace and safeguards all of the state’s consumers by fairly regulating the insurance industry. Under the Commissioner’s direction, the Department uses its authority to protect Californians from insurance rates that are excessive, inadequate, or unfairly discriminatory, oversee insurer solvency to pay claims, set standards for agents and broker licensing, perform market conduct reviews of insurance companies, resolve consumer complaints, and investigate and prosecute insurance fraud. Consumers are urged to call 1-800-927-4357 with any questions or contact us at www.insurance.ca.gov via webform or online chat. Non-media inquiries should be directed to the Consumer Hotline at 800-927-4357. Teletypewriter (TTY), please dial 800-482-4833.
