Three Charged With Helping Agents Cheat on Florida Insurance License Exams

Three Miami residents, including two licensed insurance agents, have been charged with running an unauthorized insurance agent licensing school and taking exams on behalf of applicants. This scheme has led to the suspension of at least five agents’ licenses. The accused are Rainer Miguel Salas, his son Rainer Alexander Salas, and receptionist Karla Lit Peralta Ceballos.

Florida CFO Jimmy Patronis condemned the fraudulent activities, stating that such behavior erodes the trust in the state’s licensed insurance agents. The investigation revealed that the trio accepted payments at their test-prep office, D&R Insurance Group, located near Miami International Airport, and bypassed testing security protocols.

Pearson VUE, the state’s testing vendor, discovered irregularities indicating that approximately 820 exams had been compromised using an unauthorized computer. Applicants paid up to $2,000 to have their exams taken by the unauthorized academy. Witnesses disclosed that during the exams, applicants were instructed to use a pre-logged-in laptop controlled by another computer, moving the laptop to avoid detection by proctors.

Rainer Alexander Salas, licensed since 2020, and Peralta Ceballos, licensed since May, are currently appointed with several insurance companies. The elder Salas had previously been banned from insurance business in Florida.

The three suspects were arrested on June 27 and face charges including conspiracy to commit violations of representing unauthorized insurers, a scheme to defraud, and violation of the Florida Communication Fraud Act. Each could face up to 15 years in prison if convicted. The Miami Dade State Attorney’s Office will lead the prosecution.