In perhaps their most powerful message to date in the Age of White-Collar Fraud, police have thrown the book at a Louisiana insurance agent, accusing her of an astonishing total of 851 crimes.
For good measure, the Louisiana Department of Insurance immediately suspended Jolie R. Bonvillian’s sales license and fined her $21,250.
Bonvillian, 40, of Violet, was charged with three counts of theft totaling $2,945,988.11, Louisiana State Police said. At the same time, she was charged with 85 counts of insurance fraud, 339 counts of bank fraud and 424 counts of forgery.
“The investigation originated when troopers from the Insurance Fraud/Auto Theft Unit received a complaint from Progressive Insurance Company concerning an unusually large number of commercial auto policies being generated by Bonvillian,” police said.
“Troopers learned that Bonvillian has been a licensed insurance agent in St. Bernard Parish since 1993,” police continued. “The investigation revealed Bonvillian had generated 85 fraudulent commercial auto polices utilizing bogus policyholder names, international drivers license information and vehicle information. The Progressive commercial auto policies were created to facilitate 339 fraudulent premium finance agreements. During the investigation, troopers also learned Bonvillian had misappropriated insurance premium cash payments made to her for existing legitimate insurance policies.”
Louisiana Insurance Commissioner Jim Donelon said Bonvillian misappropriated about $149,426.
She was booked at the St. Bernard Parish Jail, authorities said.