Idaho Bail Agent Convicted of Insurance Fraud for Mishandling Funds

An Idaho man pleaded guilty to one count of felony insurance fraud for diverting fiduciary funds for personal use.

Johnny Mateo Robles, Jr. of Twin Falls, pleaded guilty to one count of felony insurance fraud for diverting fiduciary funds that were unlawfully used by a producer for personal use.

On January 12, 2021, Johnny Robles was an Idaho licensed bail agent for Mr. Bail Inc. when he reportedly arranged a bail bond for an individual at the Twin Falls County Jail. Robles requested $35,000 in cash as collateral for the bail bond, along with a $15,000 fee to cover the bail premium, according to the Idaho Department of Insurance.

Robles reportedly received the collateral and the fee from the individual being bailed out of jail and provided a receipt to the person. Then, on April 7, 2022, the bail bond was exonerated, and the individual requested the return of their $35,000 collateral. However, Robles only returned $10,000 and stated that the rest of the collateral was his personal fee for posting the bail bond, according to the Idaho Department of Insurance.

According to investigators, Robles deposited the $15,000 fee into a bank account for Mr. Bail. The $35,000 collateral should have been placed into a fiduciary bank account with Mr. Bail, but Robles never reported collecting collateral to them. Instead, Robles deposited the $35,000 into his personal bank account and used the money for personal use in violation of Idaho state statute.

On January 13, the Idaho Department of Insurance revoked Robles’ Idaho Resident Bail Agent License due to these violations. On March 17, Robles, was sentenced to five years in prison which was suspended in lieu of supervised probation, 25 hours of community service, a fine of $1,500 and restitution payments to the victim.

Topics Agencies Fraud