Matthew G. Gingerich is seated to the left of his defense attorney in Lewis County Superior Court
By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter
CHEHALIS – A former Centralia insurance agent pleaded not guilty today to first-degree theft, in connection with allegedly misappropriating client’s premium payments.
Matthew G. Gingerich, 37, was fired from employment with American Family Insurance following an internal audit three years ago. His license was revoked two years ago by the Washington state Office of the Insurance Commissioner.
The Lewis County Prosecutors Office filed the criminal charge late last year and summonsed Gingerich to appear before a judge this afternoon in Lewis County Superior Court.
He was accompanied by his Olympia attorney Jason Fugate.
Gingerich was allowed release on his personal recognizance pending trial
Gingerich’s business address was on the 1100 block of Harrison Avenue in Centralia. The state insurance commissioner said in the spring of 2016 the audit showed he misappropriated nearly $30,000, and American Family was able to correct all the consumer’s policies of but one.
He was licensed for property, casualty, life and disability insurance in this state beginning in October 2008.
Charging documents in his case allege Gingerich put an internal block on a client’s account, preventing the client from receiving a cancellation notice in the event Gingerich didn’t pay the premium.
The report from the OIC showed he withheld approximately $37,000 of his client’s payments, and didn’t pass them on to American Family Insurance, Lewis County Chief Criminal Deputy Prosecutor Brad Meagher wrote in charging documents.
Meagher writes the audit found Gingerich transferred $37,610 from his premium trust account to his business checking account between August 2013 to March 2014, although he put $19,496 back in and that he admitted to receiving $2,800.24 in cash for premiums he didn’t put in the trust account.
He allegedly provided the auditor altered bank statements, including a fictitious business savings account.
His trial was scheduled for the week of April 15.
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For background, read “Insurance Commissioner: Centralia agent failed to remit customer premiums” from Tuesday March 22, 2016, here
Tags: By Sharyn L. Decker, news reporter