A former claims adjuster for Progressive from Miami was arrested on multiple insurance fraud charges, authorities said.
Kiyuana Renee Pasley, 41, was arrested Thursday on 11 counts of insurance fraud, 11 counts of grand theft and one count of organized fraud, according to a news release from Florida chief financial officer Jimmy Patronis.
Pasley allegedly used multiple customer identities to file fraudulent claims against Progressive, pocketing a settlement valued at just under $24,000, the news release said.
Officials said Pasley, who worked for Progressive from 2020 to 2022, filed the claim on behalf of the customer, and changed the customer’s email to a new, similar email address.
Pasley hijacked up to 11 active claims without the insureds’ knowledge, adding false information to claims related to bodily harm, deductions and loss of pay, officials said.
He was then able to access the settlement funds and transfer them to a bank account he controlled, officials said.
Pasley resigned from Progressive in October 2022, after the scheme was discovered, officials said.
Pasley is booked into the Miami-Dade prison. Attorney information not available.
“Insurance fraud is a costly crime that is driving up rates across the state. These arrests demonstrate our continued efforts to stand up to fraudulent individuals working in the insurance industry,” Patronis said in a statement. “When bad actors choose to scam policyholders for a quick buck, they will be caught and held accountable.”
Patronis said if convicted, Pasley could face up to 60 years in prison.