Released: October 11, 2006

Baton Rouge- A Church Point insurance agent was booked today on felony theft counts arising out of the sale of insurance without a license following an investigation which is part of an ongoing statewide insurance fraud crackdown, said Insurance Commissioner Jim Brown.

Paula F. Citizen, 37, of 126 South Main Street in Church Point, was arrested and booked after Department of Insurance investigators and members of the State Police Task Force on Insurance Fraud seized records at her office through a search warrant.

She was booked into the Acadia Parish Jail on counts of felony theft and selling insurance without a license, said Commissioner Brown. The investigation turned up evidence that Ms.Citizen was issuing insurance coverage and keeping the premium. She was served with a cease and desist order by Department of Insurance officials.

Ms. Citizen's insurance license was suspended on November 4, 1999, for failure to remit premiums to insurers.

However, a joint investigation by the Department of Insurance and the State Police Task Force on Insurance Fraud yielded information that Ms. Citizen allegedly was continuing to sell insurance policies even though her license was suspended and she no longer represents an insurance company.

"This is part of a continuing investigation of suspected fraudulent activities," said Commissioner Brown. "We won't know the magnitude of the activities until we go through records seized in the case," said Commissioner Brown.

Today's activities in Church Point are part of a statewide crackdown on fraudulent insurance activities, said Commissioner Brown.