A former Plant City and Bartow insurance agent has been charged with fraud.
Heidi Y. Colonge, 34, worked as the lead agent and manager of Express Insurance of Plant City. According to the indictment, she planned to defraud the owners out of bonus and commission checks from various insurance companies Express did business with. She posed as the Express’ owner by opening a post office box in a similar corporate name, filing corporate paperwork, registering a similar fictitious name and opening a personal bank account in the fictitious name to deposit checks belonging to Express.
The indictment further alleges that Colonge spent the fraud proceeds on personal items that benefitted herself and her family, and to open another competing insurance agency.
If convicted, she faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in federal prison on the bank fraud charges, and up to 20 years’ imprisonment on each wire and mail fraud charge. The indictment also notifies her that the United States is seeking a money judgment in the amount of the proceeds of the fraud.
Colonge was arrested and had her initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark A. Pizzo Monday, June 15. She was released on bond.
