HOWARD COUNTY INSURANCE AGENT PLEADS GUILTY TO INSURANCE FRAUD

Attorney General J. Joseph Curran, Jr., announced today that Burke Allen Walker, 45, of Ellicott City, entered a guilty plea in the Circuit Court for Howard County to a one-count criminal information alleging misappropriation of insurance premiums. In a statement of facts presented to Judge Diane Leasure, Walker admitted that between the dates of October 16, 2000 and May 3, 2001 he misappropriated $556,981.25 in insurance premiums belonging to Gerling NCM Credit Insurance, Incorporated. Walker admitting to using the premium money to finance business enterprises, and was unable to remit the premiums when those enterprises failed.

Judge Leasure sentenced Walker to six years in the Division of Corrections, and suspended the sentence in favor of a five-year period of supervised probation. Walker was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $423,941.25 to Gerling NCM. The restitution represents the amount of the premiums that he misappropriated, less the commission he was due as the agent of the policyholder.

The criminal information followed a joint investigation conducted by the Insurance Fraud Division of the Maryland Insurance Administration and the Office of the Attorney General.

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