LOS ANGELES
A former Northridge insurance agent was sentenced to 50 months in federal prison for orchestrating a $3.7 million fraud scheme involving bogus fine art insurance policies, officials announced Monday.
Tonja Van Roy, 59, of Las Vegas, pleaded guilty to wire fraud.
U.S. District Judge Stephen V. Wilson sentenced Van Roy and ordered her to pay $1.88 million in restitution.
From January 2021 to December 2023, officials stated that Van Roy, who ran Pegasus Insurance in Northridge, submitted dozens of fake insurance finance agreements to AFCO Credit Corp., falsely claiming she had sold art insurance policies to commercial clients. She invented policy numbers and forged electronic signatures for non-existent customers.
Van Roy used the money to fund her personal expenses, including credit card payments. When earlier loans came due, she submitted new fake agreements to make it appear the old loans had been repaid.
Prosecutors said Van Roy exploited her more than 25 years of experience in the insurance industry to carry out the “sophisticated, multiyear scheme” and avoid detection.
Homeland Security Investigations and the California Department of Insurance investigated the case, officials stated.