La. Tells Unlicensed Corporation, Former Agents to Cease and Desist

The Louisiana Department of Insurance issued a cease and desist order to an Oklahoma-based corporation and two former Louisiana insurance agents who allegedly have been soliciting insurance products to senior citizens without a license.

Shop Right Corporation based in Edmond, Okla., was told to stop conducting insurance business in Louisiana, where it is not licensed, the department said. Former Louisiana insurance agents, Ronnie Benton Smith, 53, and Lee Eldon Tracy, 73, allegedly soliciting seniors in Louisiana to join Shop Right, were ordered to stop that practice.

Shop Right, through its Web site, allegedly solicited individuals to join its “Senior Focus Group” by completing an application and submitting it to the company for approval. Upon approval of the individual’s application, the Web site materials insinuate, the individual would then be eligible for an insurance product, among other things, that was offered by insurance companies. Further, Shop Right allegedly offered monetary incentives to individuals to procure applications from others to join the “Senior Focus Group.”

Allegedly Smith and Tracy enticed others to complete applications to join the “Senior Focus Group” to gain these monetary incentives.

Smith held a Life & Health license from March 1990 through May 1996 and an Auto Club license from March 1994 through May 1995. Tracy held a Life & Health license from January 1983 through May 2002 and a Property & Casualty license from February 1983 through May 1985.

Source: Louisiana Department of Insurance, www.ldi.state.la.us