3 Charged With Florida Licensing Cheating Scheme

Cheating is never good or moral. Whether you cheat on a test in school or in the real world in order to advance in your career, you’re facing a huge risk if you get caught. You could fail a class or even be expelled from school. In the real world, you could get your license suspended. You could even be arrested or put in jail.

Three people in Miami have been charged with a cheating scheme in Florida. They are facing criminal charges after they were caught operating an unauthorized insurance agent licensing school. They would cheat, taking license examinations in applicants’ places. In total, the investigation had led to five insurance agents’ licenses being suspended.

The test prep office was run by a father and son team. The son was a licensed insurance agent. Also running the scheme was their receptionist, also a licensed agent. The three would receive payments from applicants at their office. They did not follow proper testing security protocols, leading to their arrests. Five agents who paid the school to take their license exams also had their licenses suspended.

The school, known as D&R Insurance Group, is located near the Miami International Airport. Pearson VUE, the vendor for the state that administers online testing, found discrepancies in the tests that the prep school took. It was discovered that close to 820 license exams were “subverted” by an unauthorized computer.

The school’s applicants would pay as much as $2,000 to have D&R Insurance Group take the exams for them. Witnesses said that applicants were told to go to the testing center and sit in an isolated room. They would use a laptop that was already logged into the school’s Pearson account and controlled by another computer.

The applicants were being watched virtually by a proctor. They were instructed to move the laptop around so the proctor could see if anyone else was in the room using the laptop’s camera.

According to the Florida Department of Financial Service, the son who owns the test prep company is from Miami Lakes and has been a licensed agent since 2020. He works as a general lines/property and casualty agent and as a life insurance agent. He is currently appointed with three life insurance companies. His father was prohibited from insurance business in Florida.

The receptionist, who is from Miami Gardens, has a health insurance agent license and is appointed with four health insurers.

All three were arrested on June 27 and booked into a Miami jail. They have been charged with a scheme to defraud, conspiracy to commit violations of representing and aiding unauthorized insurers, and violation of the Florida Communication Fraud Act. Each could face up to 15 years in prison.

 Keep Your License With Help From a Tampa Administrative Licensing Lawyer

Those who wish to obtain a professional license in Florida need to do so lawfully. Cheating and scams can lead to licensing issues, fines, and even jail time.

A Tampa administrative licensing lawyer from The Law Offices of David P. Rankin, P.A. can help you resolve your licensing matter quickly. I represent insurance agents and other licensed professionals who are having issues with their license. Schedule a consultation today by filling out the online form or calling (813) 968-6633.

Source:

insurancejournal.com/news/southeast/2024/06/28/781747.htm