Former N.Y. Broker Sentenced for Fraud

A 43-year-old former New York insurance broker was sentenced recently to spend weekends in jail for three months for reportedly stealing $9,000 in insurance premiums from 49 people in Saratoga, Warren and Washington Counties. Jill M. Morrill of Glens Falls, was sentenced by Saratoga County Court Judge Jerry Scarano after pleading guilty to insurance fraud. She was also ordered to make restitution, some of which has already been paid. Morrill was arrested in July after customers of the South Glens Falls insurance agency where she was employed complained that their insurance policies were being cancelled for not paying premiums. The agency contacted the Saratoga County Sheriff’s Department when it learned Morrill had reportedly not turned over cash she was given for premium payments. At Morrill’s sentencing, the owner of Pro-Vu Insurance, the agency where she had been employed, said his company suffered the loss of 20 percent of its business as a result of her actions. The Insurance Department revoked Morrill’s insurance broker’s license in January. Some customers had their car registrations or driver’s licenses suspended because their insurance had lapsed. The cars of several people were towed and one person’s car was impounded when police found it uninsured. In addition, several people were arrested and jailed for driving without insurance. Following her arrest by Saratoga County Sheriffs, Morrill reportedly admitted stealing customer premiums for auto insurance over a 12-month period beginning in July 2006. Two cases involved the theft of business insurance premiums.