California Department of Insurance News

California Agriculture Company Owner, Daughter Sentenced in $2.5M Workers’ Comp Scheme

Felipe Saurez Barocio, 63, of Atwater, Calif., owner of Agriculture Services Inc., and his daughter, Angelita Barocio-Negrete, 34, of Merced, were sentenced to 10 years after pleading no contest to six felony counts of insurance fraud each. Both serve six …

California Woman Sentenced in $135K Staged Collision Ring

Zandra Monterrozo, 44, of Corona, Calif., pleaded guilty and was sentenced for her involvement in an organized ring that intentionally staged vehicle collisions to collect more than $135,000 in insurance payouts. Eleven other suspects have been either charged or prosecuted. …

California School Employee Arraigned for Workers’ Comp Fraud After Virus Diagnosis

Stephanie Medrano, 33, of West Covina, Calif., was arraigned on Tuesday on multiple counts of grand theft and insurance fraud after allegedly making misrepresentations following a COVID-19 diagnosis in an attempt to collect more than $33,000 in undeserved workers’ compensation …

California Commissioner Wants More Group Discounts for Lower-Income Drivers

California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara on Thursday released revised draft regulations to expand drivers’ access to group discounts. The revised draft regulations will extend discounts to previously underrepresented drivers in the first major reform of group discounts since voters approved …

California Commissioner Names Morales Diversity Task Force Leader

California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara has named Mark Morales to lead the California Department of Insurance’s Diversity Task Force, the first LGBTQ+ person named to the post. Morales replaces Sal Peinado, Jr. He will lead the first quarterly meeting of …

California Mother, Son Arrested for Fraud Involving Aston Martin

Ahmad Haris Tajyar, 45, and his mother, Malalay Tajyar, 70, both of Porter Ranch, Calif., were arrested on one felony count of insurance fraud each after allegedly filing a false auto insurance claim and making fraudulent statements in order to …

More Felony Charges for California Insurance Agents in Reported $748K Theft

Additional charges of felony grand theft were filed this week against licensed California insurance agents Robert Farmer, 66, of Camarillo, and Marion Urcan, 68, of Agoura Hills. The additional charges were filed after Farmer and Urcan allegedly accepted more than …

Former California Agent Arraigned for Allegedly Stealing from Clients

Former licensed insurance agent Laura Lopez, 37, of Long Beach, Calif., was arraigned on one felony count of grand theft after allegedly collecting over $97,000 in insurance premiums from clients and pocketing the premiums. After receiving a complaint in February …

Unlicensed California Agent Fined $20K Following Cease and Desist Order

Former insurance agent, Karen Marie Dondanville, 53, of Lake Forest, Calif., this week was ordered to pay the California Department of Insurance $20,000 in penalties after a judge’s decision that affirms the cease and desist order issued against Dondanville for …

Hogeboom Looks Back on 46 Years Helping Shape California Insurance Landscape

Robert W. Hogeboom has quietly been in the background of making and forming insurance laws and regulations for decades – and he’s seen a lot change in California’s insurance landscape in all of that time. During his 46-year-long legal career, …