Released: August 14, 2009

A Shreveport area agent has been issued a cease and desist order, license revocation notice and fine notice today for alleged misrepresentation.

Tanya Mclain Weems, 38, was served by Department of Insurance Fraud Section Investigators today with an order to cease and desist from engaging in the business of insurance, a license revocation notice and a $9,675 fine notice.

It is alleged that while employed at an agency in Shreveport in November 2008, Weems caused seven separate payments to be made from the agency bank account to insurance companies in order to have policies reinstated or to prevent cancellation without collecting the premiums from the customers. These seven payments totaled over $1,427. It is also alleged that on two occasions she caused the agency bank account to be drafted for payment for a customer’s overdraft fees without collecting the fees from the customer, totaling over $382. In July 2008, she is alleged to have written 30 insurance policies for individuals from whom she did not collect premiums, but caused the payments to be made from the agency account, amounting to over $6,489. Further, it is alleged that for 16 policies she collected from customers only partial amounts of the required down payments, but caused the agency account to be debited for the full amount. The difference between the total payments drafted from the agency and actually collected from customers amounts to over $1,154.

She is also alleged to have received commissions of approximately $1,324 on the policies for which she failed to collect the initial payments or for which she only collected partial payments.

Department records show that Weems was issued a Casualty, Property and Vehicle Physical Damage license in November 1996 which was valid until today’s action.

Commissioner Donelon urges consumers who feel uneasy about any insurance related transaction to call the Department of Insurance Fraud Section at 225-342-4956 or 1-800-259-5300. If callers do not want their names used, they can request that their involvement be kept confidential.