A father and a son of the South Bay were accused of fraud and theft after an alleged life insurance plan that allowed them and three other $ 1.4 million in ill -acquired commissions.
A complaint by the former lawyer for an alleged victim in 2021 stimulated an investigation by the insurance regulator of California who led to the arrest last month of Daniel Jon Carpenter, 62, of Morgan Hill, his son Blake Carpenter, 27 of San Jose, and two others, while another suspect remains as a whole.
The California Department of Insurance allegedly alleged that the eldest carpenter “orchestrans” fraud affecting more than two dozen people, almost all of the bay region.
Daniel Carpenter was arrested on March 19 and brought to justice the next day at the Superior Court of Santa Clara County in San Jose for insurance fraud, theft of large and identity theft, all crimes. His son, who turned on on March 24, is accused of criminal insurance fraud and theft of serious crime.
Another man from San Jose, Noah Maxwell Kuh, 26, was arrested on March 20 and accused of criminal insurance fraud, said the insurance service.
Alejandro Carlos, 25, from Gilroy, wanted an alleged fraud fraud and a crime flight, “remains a fugitive,” said the department.
A woman in southern California, Natorae Marie Wettstein, 56, was accused of crime insurance fraud and crime theft. She transformed on March 26, said the department.
The carpenters, Kuh and Wettstein should appear before the San Jose court on April 25 for plea hearings.
The five accused were licensed insurance agents, Kuh and Wettstein being currently in license, said the ministry.
The group would have induced customers misleading on life insurance policies and the deceived insurance companies that sold the police, in order to collect commissions on more than $ 2,000,000 in insurance premiums paid by the alleged victims, said the ministry.
“This deceptive regime allowed them to receive commissions not won from four insurers between 2017 and 2023,” said the ministry.
Twenty-eight people, all except one from the bay region, were victims and the ministry said that it had helped them recover more than $ 2 million they spent collectively.
The lawyer who complained cited counterfeit and insurance fraud linked to life insurance policies sold by Daniel Carpenter, said the ministry.
The files of the Superior Court of the County of Santa Clara show that Daniel Carpenter and Wettstein were prosecuted by a customer named Alex Lowry in 2021. Lowry, Carpenter forged his signature to buy two life insurance policies of $ 7.5 million, and because Carpenter lacked authorization to write the police, Wettstein was appointed agent. Wettstein in legal files fought the complaints, arguing that Lowry had been reimbursed by the insurer the $ 190,000 in bonuses that he had paid and that he knowingly held the two policies. Carpenter in a legal file denied Lowry complaints, but said he was willing to discuss a regulation.
Lowry abandoned the case last August in the circumstances which are not clearly indicated in the judicial archives. His lawyer did not respond to requests for comments.
Originally published:
California Daily Newspapers
