Illinois Department of Insurance Disciplinary Report for August 2010

SPRINGFIELD - The Illinois Department of Insurance announced today that Director of Insurance Michael T. McRaith issued the following disciplinary orders:

• Darryl D. Witte, Channahon - Stipulation and Consent Order, effective June 16, 2010. Mr. Witte has been licensed to sell life, accident, health and variable insurance since July 11, 1996.  The Stipulation and Consent Order, which includes a $5,000 civil forfeiture and corrective orders, alleges that Mr. Witte forged two consumers' signatures to numerous annuity related applications and forms without the consumers' knowledge or consent.

• Willie R. Wallace, Homewood - Stipulation and Consent Order, effective June 9, 2010. Mr. Wallace has been licensed to sell life, accident, health, fire and casualty insurance since June 20, 1990. The Stipulation and Consent Order, which includes a $5,000 civil forfeiture and corrective orders, alleges that Mr. Wallace forged a consumer's signature to an insurance application without the consumer's knowledge or consent and paid a consumer's first premium, which would constitute a violation of the rebating law.

• John A. Pighee, Jr., Bolingbrook - Insurance producer license revoked effective July 1, 2010. Mr. Pighee had been licensed to sell life, accident, health, and variable insurance since October 29, 1993. The license of Mr. Pighee was suspended following conclusion of a hearing on the Department's Order of Suspension dated February 8, 2010. The Order of Suspension was issued as a result of an investigation revealing Mr. Pighee was more than 30 days delinquent in complying with a child support order.

• Andrew N. Gorelick, Owings Mills, Maryland - Stipulation and Consent Order effective July 15, 2010. The Stipulation and Consent Order, which includes a $2,000 civil forfeiture and corrective orders, alleges that Mr. Gorelick failed to reveal administrative actions against his Florida and South Carolina licenses on his Illinois public adjuster license.

• Michael C. Turner, Chicago - Application for insurance producer license denied, effective July 8, 2010.  Mr. Turner's application for a license to sell life, accident and health insurance was denied as a result of an investigation which revealed that the Applicant was delinquent in paying more than $68,000 in child support.

• David D. Evans, Gurnee - Stipulation and Consent Order effective June 9, 2010. Mr. Evans has been licensed to sell life, accident, and health insurance since July 28, 2005. The Stipulation and Consent Order, which includes a $2,000 civil forfeiture, restitution to an insurer, and corrective orders, alleges that Mr. Evans failed to forward premiums to an insurer.

• Vincent Harris, Chicago - Insurance producer license revoked effective July 19, 2010. Mr. Harris was licensed to sell life, accident, and health insurance since December 9, 2008. His license was revoked as result of an investigation which revealed that the Licensee improperly withheld more than $300 in premiums from an insurer and failed to facilitate and aid the Director in an examination.

• Lujan E. Niemiec, Lake Zurich - Insurance producer license suspended effective July 8, 2010. Mr. Niemiec had been licensed to sell life, accident, health, fire, casualty and variable insurance since July 7, 2008. Mr. Niemiec's license was suspended as a result of an investigation which revealed that the Licensee was certified by the Department of Healthcare and Family Services to be more than thirty days delinquent in complying with a child support order.

• Trenwick America Reinsurance Corporation, Fairfield, CT - Certificate of Authority suspended effective June 14, 2010. Trenwick's certificate was suspended for up to two years as a result of the Department's financial review which determined that the company is in such financial condition that the further transaction of business would be hazardous to policyholders and creditors in the State of Illinois.

More Information
The Department's mission is to protect consumers by providing assistance and information, by efficiently regulating the insurance industry's market behavior and financial solvency, and by fostering a competitive insurance marketplace. The Department assists consumers with all insurance complaints, including health, auto, life, and homeowner. Consumers in need of information or assistance should visit the Department's web site at http://insurance.illinois.gov or call our toll-free hotline at (866) 445-5364.

If you would like individual disciplinary orders, please visit www.insurance.illinois.gov/orders or call or e-mail Anjali Julka at anjali.julka@illinois.gov or Louis G. Pukelis at louis.pukelis@illinois.gov.