Released: April 28, 2005

A former Tangipahoa Parish insurance producer was arrested and issued a cease and desist order yesterday for allegedly misappropriating insurance funds, Commissioner of Insurance Robert Wooley has announced.

Department of Insurance Fraud Unit investigators served Joshuah C. Murphy (27) with a cease and desist order at the time he was arrested by the State Police Insurance Fraud Unit. Murphy was arrested on 21 counts of misappropriation of insurance premiums and 1 count of felony theft. The c&d states that he collected close to $3,000 in premiums which he never submitted to the insurance carrier.

Department of Insurance records show that Murphy received both property & casualty and life & health insurance licenses in September 2002. His p&c license expired in May 2003 and his l&h license expired in May 2004. Department records list his address as 19415 Hilton Crowe Rd, Franklinton, but his current residence is reported to be 32127 Range, Denham Springs.

Wooley urges consumers who feel uneasy about any insurance-related transaction to call the Department of Insurance Fraud Unit at 225-342-4956. If callers don’t want their names used, they can request that their involvement be kept confidential.

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