www.local10.com, Ryan Mackey, October 17, 2023
MIAMI – A pair of insurance agents based out of Miami are facing felony charges after state investigators said they stole clients’ identities, took out fraudulent life insurance policies without their knowledge and pocketed commissions on those policies.
Investigators with the Florida Department of Financial Services’ Bureau of Insurance Fraud arrested Yanet Hernandez-Suarez, 50, and Alexander Antonio Faneita-Garcia, 59, both of Miami, on Monday.
According to an arrest report from the agency, the pair were working as insurance agents for John Hancock Life Insurance when they both allegedly submitted fraudulent life insurance applications to their employer for the purpose of receiving commission.
Detectives said an investigation revealed that on or about June 28, 2021, Hernandez-Suarez used the name of a witness to create a fake insurance application by using facets of their identity for fraudulent purposes.
Police said on July 21, detectives from the division of investigative and forensic services in the Jacksonville field office spoke with a male victim who told them in a sworn statement that he had no knowledge of any fraud involved in the John Hancock Life Insurance application, which is a three-page document.
The victim said that some of the information listed in the application was inaccurate and that he was not responsible for his name being signed electronically in the application.
The victim read and signed an affidavit of forgery to attest to the fact that he was not responsible for his signature being placed electronically on the application, according to the report.
Authorities said Hernandez-Suarez’s name and phone number were listed as the agent of contact on the application.
Records also show that because of the fraudulent document, Hernandez-Suarez earned $3,249.1 after the insurance company deposited the amount into her bank account after she closed the fraudulent deal, according to police.
According to the report, Faneita-Garcia also worked for John Hancock Life Insurance, which tipped off state investigators after receiving “several complaints” and conducting “proactive searches” into life insurance policies he submitted.
In Faneita-Garcia’s arrest report, investigators said he used the names of six victims to create fraudulent life insurance applications from witnesses from November 2020 to November 2021.
Faneita-Garcia is accused of receiving $10,026.05 in fraudulent commissions. He is facing 11 counts each of false entry of material fact and identity fraud, three counts of third-degree grand theft and one count each of organized scheme to defraud and uttering forged instruments.
According to jail records, Hernandez-Suarez is facing one count each of the same charges.
As of Tuesday, both suspects were being held at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center where their total bond was set at $15,000 each.