Oklahoma Attorney General Files Workers’ Comp Charges on Agent

Eight felony charges have been filed against an Oklahoma City insurance agent accused of fraudulently obtaining workers’ compensation policies.

Attorney General Scott Pruitt’s office filed the charges on Friday against 27-year-old Fernando Espinoza. Espinoza is accused of making false or misleading statements in insurance applications and obtaining money by false pretenses.

The attorney general alleges Espinoza miscoded insurance applications to identify roofing companies as “paint and paper hanging” companies to obtain workers’ compensation insurance. The insurer doesn’t write workers’ compensation for roofers and considers the policies invalid.

If convicted, Espinoza faces up to seven years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000.

Online court records do not indicate if Espinoza has an attorney. He did not return a telephone call to his insurance agency seeking comment.