Tampa Woman Who Posed as an Insurance Broker Sentenced; Prosecutors Say 500-Plus Customers Had Auto Policies Canceled

Published Nov. 9, 2026. Case status is current as of that date.

You pay someone for car insurance, you get a proof-of-insurance card, and you drive away believing you are covered. Federal prosecutors in Tampa say more than 500 people went through that experience with a woman who was not a licensed broker, and whose policies were canceled shortly after they began because the premiums were never paid. On Nov. 6, 2026, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Florida announced that Katrenia Harris, 55, of Tampa, had been sentenced to 13 months in federal prison for wire fraud [1].

Status: Harris pleaded guilty on April 16, 2026, and was sentenced by U.S. District Judge William F. Jung. The court also entered a forfeiture order of $49,772.40, which the release describes as the proceeds of the wire fraud [1].

How the scheme worked

According to court documents described in the U.S. Attorney's Office release [1]:

• From about February 2017 through August 2023, Harris "fraudulently held herself out to the public as a licensed insurance broker, when in fact she was not licensed and not an authorized broker," offering customers auto insurance policies.
• She submitted applications through insurers' online or telephone portals using customers' real names but bogus contact details, such as email addresses and phone numbers "that were solely in Harris's control."
• Because of that, the initial proof-of-insurance cards went only to accounts Harris controlled. She then forwarded the proof of insurance to her customers.
• She did not pay the required premiums. The policies were rescinded shortly after they began, and Harris did not tell customers about the cancellations.
• Customers then drove without valid insurance, "resulting in unpaid claims for loss."

The investigation found that Harris defrauded more than 500 victims and obtained $49,772.40 in fraudulent proceeds, according to the release. It does not name any customer, and neither do we.

The relatively small dollar figure understates the risk. A driver who believes they are insured and is then in a crash may face an unpaid claim, a lawsuit, or penalties for driving uninsured. The release does not describe any individual claim.

The defendant and her status

Katrenia Harris, 55, Tampa, Fla. Pleaded guilty April 16, 2026; sentenced to 13 months in federal prison, with a forfeiture order of $49,772.40 [1]. The release does not state a case number, a supervised-release term or a restitution figure, and we do not add one.

The Florida Department of Financial Services Bureau of Insurance Fraud Criminal Investigations Division and the FBI investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Whitney Mackay prosecuted the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorney James A. Muench handled forfeiture [1].

Why the contact details matter

The detail that made this scheme work, according to prosecutors, is that the insurer's paperwork went to email addresses and phone numbers the customer did not control. When an insurer sends a cancellation notice, a premium reminder or a request for payment, it uses the contact information on file. If that information belongs to someone else, you never see the warning. That is why an agent who will not let you see or confirm your own policy record is a serious warning sign, even if the card they hand you looks real.

Red flags

These are general warning signs, not claims about any person beyond what the court record shows.

• An "agent" or "broker" who cannot give you a license number, or whose license you cannot find with your state insurance department.
• A price far below quotes you get directly from insurers.
• You are told to pay the agent personally, in cash or through a payment app, rather than paying the insurer.
• You never receive anything directly from the insurance company: no welcome email, no app login, no bill.
• The agent fills in your application but does not use your own email address or phone number.

What to do if you're targeted

• Look up the agent's license. In Florida, the Department of Financial Services offers a licensee search at myfloridacfo.com. Other states offer similar lookups through their insurance departments.
• Call the insurer directly, using a number from its official website, to confirm your policy is active, that it shows your own contact details, and that premiums have been paid.
• Create your own online account with the insurer so cancellation notices come to you.
• If you think your coverage was fake or canceled, stop driving the vehicle until you have confirmed valid insurance, and contact your state insurance department.
• Report insurance fraud to the Florida Department of Financial Services (if in Florida) or your state's fraud bureau, and at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

Case status (as of Nov. 9, 2026)

Defendant	Court	Status	Source
Katrenia Harris, 55, Tampa, Fla.	U.S. District Court, Middle District of Florida (Judge William F. Jung)	Pleaded guilty April 16, 2026, to wire fraud; sentenced to 13 months in federal prison and $49,772.40 forfeiture (announced Nov. 6, 2026)	[1]

Statuses can change. The release does not give a case number or a sentencing date.

Sources

1. U.S. Attorney's Office, Middle District of Florida, "Tampa Woman Sentenced to Prison for Wire Fraud," Nov. 6, 2026. https://www.justice.gov/usao-mdfl/pr/tampa-woman-sentenced-prison-wire-fraud

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