June 26, 2019
OLYMPIA, Wash. – Lilibeth Brulotte, a former insurance agent, pleaded guilty in Pierce County Superior Court to third-degree theft in connection with writing fake auto insurance policies. Brulotte’s sentence was deferred for two years and will be dismissed if she commits no new crimes. She was also ordered to pay $4,668 in restitution and a $500 victim assessment fee.
Officials charged Brulotte after an investigation by Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler’s Criminal Investigations Unit (CIU). According to the investigation, Brulotte wrote comprehensive-only auto insurance policies for fake vehicles on existing Farmer’s Insurance policies from February 2013 through October 2015 to give clients a multi-car discount. She collected $4,668 in payments and caused $3,420 in lost premiums to Farmers, for a total loss of $8,088. Brulotte became licensed to sell insurance in 2012 and Kreidler revoked her license in 2017.
Brandalynn (Monroe) White pleaded guilty in Snohomish County Superior Court to one count of filing a false insurance claim. She was sentenced to 40 days’ confinement with credit for time served and ordered to pay a $500 victim assessment fee.
Monroe spent three months on Kreidler’s insurance fraud most wanted list before she was arrested in Las Vegas in February 2019.
According to the investigation, White damaged her 2010 Ford Focus in a 2015 collision. Her insurer at the time, Omni Insurance Group, denied the claim because she gave false information about the collision.
In February 2016, White purchased an auto insurance policy from Lyndon Southern Insurance Co. and filed a claim six days later for the same damage that happened in 2015. She stated in the claim that the car was damaged by a hit-and-run driver while it was parked at her residence. Lyndon Southern, which found the 2015 Omni claim, denied the claim and referred the case to Kreidler.
Kreidler’s CIU investigates insurance fraud and works with the Washington State Patrol and state and local prosecutors on criminal cases. Insurance fraud costs the average family $400 to $700 per year in increased premiums. Insurance companies are required by law to report fraud to and cooperate with the commissioner.
Consumers can report suspected insurance fraud on the insurance commissioner’s website.