Former Agent Arrested for Reportedly Stealing More than $180,000 from Fla. Agency

A man banned from the insurance industry has been charged with organized fraud and grand theft, according to investigators with Florida’s Division of Insurance Fraud.

Anthony Michael Pascale, 32, of Hollywood, was arrested as investigators allege that from May 2002 through April 2003, Pascale misappropriated more than 1,200 premium checks paid to his father’s insurance agency, Auto Insurance America, in Ft. Lauderdale.

During that time, the insurance checks were allegedly deposited into a personal account, totaling more than $180,000. Pascale’s father, John Pascale, is reportedly cooperating with investigators.

Pascale was employed at Auto Insurance American despite having been reportedly banned from the insurance industry in 2000. The action followed an arrest and conviction for reportedly stealing premiums. In January of 2000, Pascale was sentenced to three years probation and ordered to pay restitution.

If convicted on the recent charges, Pascale faces up to 60 years in prison. He was booked into the Broward County jail, where he was to remain pending posting of bond.