NC Insurance Agent Charged With Manipulating Life Policies for Personal Gain

A 43-year-old North Carolina insurance agent is out on bond after she was charged with using clients’ identities to gain illicit commissions on life insurance policies, the state Department of Insurance announced.

Ashley Barnhardt, of Locust, near Charlotte, was charged Friday with dozens of counts of forgery and identity theft. Investigators found that she used her capacity as an insurance producer to obtain identify information on clients and beneficiaries, then manipulated policy applications for her personal gain, DOI said.

She allegedly collected more than $25,000 in advance commission payments from two life insurance companies since 2023.

“It’s always disturbing when an agent uses their position to benefit themselves illegally,” Insurance Commissioner Mike Causey said in a statement. “I’m grateful to our agents for uncovering and pursuing this case.”

Barnhardt has been a licensed producer since 2019 and was appointed with seven life insurance companies, according to the National Association of Insurance Commissioner’s license lookup site.

She posted $152,000 bond and is awaiting an initial court date next week.