Denver-Englewood Agent Charged in Scam

Colorado Attorney General Ken Salazar’s office has filed criminal charges against a Denver insurance agent doing business in Englewood in connection with the alleged issuance of fraudulent auto and workers’ compensation insurance coverage documents (People v. John D. Reppert, Case No. 04 CR 2081, Arapahoe County District Court).

Reppert, 69, who operates John D. Reppert Insurance in Englewood, was charged in Arapahoe County District Court with theft (class 4 felony), multiple counts of forgery (class 5 felony) and criminal possession of a forged instrument (class 6 felony). He has reportedly been sanctioned three times since 1984 by the Colorado Division of Insurance as a result of consumer complaints about his activities—in 1984, 2002 and, most recently, a 180-day suspension effective April 2004. As part of this latest suspension, Reppert was ordered not to engage in any new insurance business for the duration of the suspension.

Reppert is charged with receiving a $1,200 payment from an individual in July 2002 for auto insurance and subsequently forging a proof of auto insurance policy. When the individual was thereafter involved in an auto accident, he discovered that he actually had no insurance. It is this activity that triggered the suspension of Reppert’s insurance license for 180 days beginning in April.

He is also charged with submitting three forged workers’ comp insurance certificates to a general construction contractor on behalf of a subcontractor between June 2001 and September 2002. These charges are based upon a review of a claim of possible criminal activity referred to the Attorney General’s Office earlier this year by the Colorado Compensation Insurance Authority dba Pinnacol Insurance, Colorado’s primary worker’s comp insurance carrier.

Last month a Pinnacol Insurance investigator contacted the Attorney General’s Office again with information that Reppert may have issued one or more fraudulent proofs of insurance.

In connection with the filing of criminal charges, the Attorney General’s Office obtained and executed a search warrant for Reppert’s place of business. The results of the search may result in additional criminal charges.