Former Westlake Village insurance agent and accomplice arrested for theft
News: 2022 Press Release
LOS ANGELES — Francis Okyere, 70, a previously licensed insurance agent in Westlake Village, was arrested today in relation to a scheme that involved him allegedly stealing multiple victims’ identities and using them to open a fraudulent insurance agency. The victims’ identities were also used on small business loan applications to fund the fraudulent agency, known as Cyber Access Insurance Agency.
Okyere was charged with 17 felony counts including identity theft and grand theft by false pretenses. Okyere’s alleged accomplice, Holly Freeman, 40, was also arrested today and charged with four counts of felony identity theft for her alleged involvement in the same scheme.
The California Department of Insurance began an investigation after receiving a complaint from one of Okyere’s ex-relatives, alleging he had stolen the identities of several people in order to open a new insurance agency. The Department’s investigation confirmed that Okyere stole the identities of four victims, in order to open Cyber Access Insurance Agency.
The Department’s investigation discovered Okyere had also applied for a series of Small Business Administration and Paycheck Protection Program loans, the federal program to help businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic. The documents related to those loans revealed two of the same stolen victims’ identities had been used to fraudulently secure loan funds in the amount of $38,963. Okyere used the same stolen identities when he applied for forgiveness of one of the loans.
This is the second time fraud accusations have been brought against Okyere, who has previously been convicted of grand theft following another Department investigation which found he stole $65,186 in insurance premiums from small business owners. The Department ordered Okyere to surrender his license in 2019 and he is pending sentencing in that matter.
Okyere’s bail was set at $815,000 and Freeman’s bail is set at $100,000. Their arraignment is scheduled for August 22, 2022. The case is being prosecuted by the Healthcare Fraud Division of the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office.
Media note:
Arrest photos available upon request.
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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.
