Around two weeks after an unlicensed insurance agent was issued a cease and desist order, the Louisiana Department of Insurance (LDI) approached the agency the individual is affiliated with, ordering the firm to stop allowing the agent to continue transacting business.
Mickey Glen Bennett, a Monroe-based insurance producer and Safeco agent, was first issued a cease and desist order on May 29 by the state insurance regulator. After additional information was provided to the insurance department’s fraud division, Bennett’s own agency, Bennett Seymour Insurance, was served a cease and desist order for allegedly enabling his unlicensed activity.
Investigators with the LDI found that as recently as June 02, Bennett continued to engage in the negotiation and sale of insurance in the state despite being prohibited from doing any business. According to the cease and desist order issued to Bennett Seymour Insurance, Bennett was involved in the sale and negotiation of an insurance policy for Good Hope Hills LLC.
The investigation further revealed that Bennett Seymour Insurance played a complicit role in the transactions Bennett carried out since his license was revoked in December 2019.
“Insurance agencies play a distinct role in the supervision of agent activities and this lack of oversight will not be tolerated in Louisiana,” said LDI insurance commissioner Jim Donelon in a statement. “I am thankful to the citizens and businesses that have taken the time to report suspicious and fraudulent activities being perpetrated on consumers and businesses.”
The Ouachita Citizen reported that the case remains under further investigation by the LDI Division of Fraud and Enforcement.
