Two Charlotte-area insurance brokers are accused of turning life insurance paperwork into a personal payday, filing dozens of bogus applications to pocket commission checks, according to state investigators. One broker is alleged to have pushed through 17 fake policies, the other five, all as part of a scheme that authorities say is still under active investigation.
Arrests and charges
North Carolina Insurance Commissioner Mike Causey identified the suspects as 28-year-old Johnnisha Kierra Albert and 32-year-old Regina Renee King. Both were arrested last Wednesday by the Mecklenburg County Sheriff’s Office, according to a press release from the North Carolina Department of Insurance.
Albert is charged with two counts of felony insurance fraud and two counts of obtaining property by false pretense. King faces one count of felony insurance fraud and one count of attempting to obtain property by false pretense. Albert received a $25,000 secured bond, while King was given a $25,000 unsecured bond, and officials say the probe is ongoing.
“Insurance fraud is not a victimless crime,” Commissioner Causey said in the release. “It hits all of us in the pocket through higher premiums.”
How investigators say the scheme worked
According to The Charlotte Observer, special agents allege Albert submitted 17 false life insurance applications to Corebridge Direct Insurance Services Inc. and Gerber Life Insurance Co., which generated about $43,454.21 in commissions. King is accused of submitting five fraudulent applications to United of Omaha Life Insurance Co. to bring in commission payments.
Local reporting notes both women were arrested at a home in southwest Charlotte. Prosecutors have presented evidence, but the charges remain allegations unless and until they are proven in court.
Next steps and how to report
Officials say the arrests took place last Wednesday and that the North Carolina Department of Insurance continues to investigate. Anyone with information is urged to call the department’s Criminal Investigations Division at 919-807-6840 or toll-free at 888-680-7684, according to the North Carolina Department of Insurance.
Prosecutors will decide whether to seek formal indictments as investigators collect more evidence in the case.
A broader crackdown
Regulators in North Carolina have pursued similar cases in recent years as part of a broader push against white-collar insurance crimes, and local outlets have reported on multiple prosecutions of agents accused of submitting false applications or claims. Earlier coverage of a 2025 Charlotte case by Hoodline highlighted the department’s repeated warning that “insurance fraud is not a victimless crime” and pointed readers to the same tip lines for reporting suspicious activity.
The latest arrests underscore regulators’ message that agents who turn in fake paperwork can face felony charges and may be ordered to repay any commissions they were not entitled to keep.
Albert and King are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court. Authorities say the investigation remains open and are again asking anyone with tips to contact the North Carolina Department of Insurance.
