Florida authorities have arrested a well known southwest Florida insurance coverage agent, charging him with larceny and embezzlement of premiums.
Reid McDaniel, 33, who was named the honorary mayor of North Fort Myers final yr however who additionally was going through a negligence lawsuit from a policyholder and a sexual assault criticism from an worker, was booked into jail Thursday by the Lee County Sheriff’s Workplace. He had not posted bond by late Thursday and a listening to was not scheduled till subsequent month, based on the sheriff’s workplace.
The alleged embezzlement quantities to greater than $20,000 and fewer than $100,000, the arrest document reveals.
The Florida Division of Monetary Providers mentioned the costs stemmed from a criticism filed by a enterprise proprietor, who mentioned he had paid McDaniel Insurance coverage Options greater than $22,900 in premiums for 2 insurance coverage insurance policies in October. However the carriers canceled the insurance policies for non-payment.
A phone quantity for McDaniel was not in service Friday morning. NBC2 TV information in Fort Myers reported that McDaniel’s workplace house on Hancock Bridge Parkway was just lately taken over by the enterprise subsequent to it, a roofing firm, and the McDaniel Insurance coverage Options signal out entrance was being dismantled.
McDaniel had been featured in a number of native TV information studies, talking about Florida property insurance coverage points.
The Florida Division of Monetary Providers license web page reveals that McDaniel held a sound common strains/property and casualty agent’s license, a life and well being agent license, and an adjuster’s license. He holds lively appointments with 38 nationwide and Florida-admitted property insurance coverage carriers, together with a few of the largest firms within the business.
McDaniel was reportedly well-known in the neighborhood, although he had been there just a few years. In early 2023, he was named “mayor” of North Fort Myers after he raised greater than $8,500 for the native Chamber.
“I’m lucky to partake within the occasion. It means any person goes to champion the group, the Chamber, and produce some publicity as a frontrunner in the neighborhood,” McDaniel instructed the North Fort Myers Neighbor news site final yr.
Publicity quickly adopted, and hassle could have been brewing for a while. Final December, an aged policyholder received a judgment of $198,543 in opposition to McDaniel in Lee County Circuit Court docket. The lady had filed go well with after Hurricane Ian slammed the realm in 2022. She charged that she had paid greater than $2,200 in premiums for a cellular dwelling coverage with Lloyd’s of London, however McDaniel by no means secured the protection.
When the house was decimated by the storm, the home-owner found she had no protection.
Additionally in December, a gross sales agent employed at McDaniel’s company in 2022 mentioned in a lawsuit that he had repeatedly touched and groped her inappropriately, as soon as after consuming “no less than 4 whiskeys,” based on the lawsuit. That case remains to be pending.
NBC2 TV mentioned that McDaniel had began an insurance coverage company in Indiana then bought it, moved to the Fort Myers space and began his company there in 2021. The Nationwide Affiliation of Insurance coverage Commissioners’ license web page reveals that McDaniel remains to be licensed in Indiana as a non-resident producer. HIs company in Greenwood, Indiana, nonetheless maintains an internet site however the telephone quantity was not in service Friday.
McDaniel beforehand labored within the lodge enterprise till 2019, based on his Linkedin web page.
Fascinated about Companies?
Get automated alerts for this matter.
