Guilty as Charged

On July 10, Victor Cortez, 38, of Escondido, was sentenced to six years in state prison after pleading guilty to four felony counts of failing to inform customers that they had no insurance and one felony count of selling insurance without a license. He was also fined $1,200 and ordered to pay restitution to victims for damages incurred while the victims were uninsured.

A joint investigation by the CDI Investigation Bureau and the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office revealed that Cortez operated a phony agency, “Auto America Insurance Agency,” and sold hundreds of fraudulent auto policies to unsuspecting consumers, primarily in the Hispanic community.

Cortez was utilizing blank, pre-formatted insurance document forms to create fake policies and proof of insurance identification cards. He collected premiums from consumers, yet never submitted the money to insurance companies.

As a result, Cortez not only left hundreds of unsuspecting victims without valid auto liability coverage, but he also exposed California drivers to uninsured motorists.