An insurance agent who stole over $31,000 of his client’s premiums for a life insurance policy, causing the policy to lapse, has been ordered to pay $15,000 in compensation forthwith. San Fernando magistrate Lisa Ramsumair-Hinds would decide on July 16 how to treat with the balance of money that Chris Christopher, 25, owes to his former client Basdeo Singh, and what punishment to impose on him. Singh was paying his premiums through Christopher.
However, Christopher who worked with British America Insurance, kept the money for himself. Christopher, who initially pleaded not guilty, changed his plea yesterday. The first charge was that between June 1, 2010 and October 10, 2011 at Gasparillo, he stole $8,300 from Singh. The other charge was that between September 1, 2006 and May 31, 2010, he fraudulently converted, for his own benefit, $23,100 instead of applying it to the British American life insurance policy on behalf of Singh.
Christopher’s attorney Shaun Teekasingh said his client did not plead guilty earlier because he was saving money to repay Singh. Teekasingh said Christopher’s mother died when he was 18 and he was left with funeral debts. Christopher, he said, used the money to pay those debts and also to cover home expenses.