Heath Ritenour, John Ritenour and Insurance Office of America Defending Lawsuit in Federal Court with Claim for Civil Racketeering (“RICO”) Alleging “Multiple Schemes” Including Taking 5% Out of Owed Insurance Commissions from Alleged Agent Through Undisc

AUGUST 22, 2023, ORLANDO, FLORIDA– After being removed to United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida, Case Number: 6:23-cv-00746-RBD-RMN by Defendants Heath Ritenour (“Heath”), Valli Ritenour (“Valli”), John Ritenour (“John”), George Anthony Tatum (“Tatum”), Insurance Office of America (“IOA”), the pending claim for Civil RICO includes a scheme to reduce an alleged IOA Agent’s owed commissions by 5% with an undisclosed “Risk Service Fee a/ka/ Risk Score Fee.”

More specifically, the Complaint alleges in part: “While [Plaintiff] was being recruited to become an IOA Insurance Agent, he was promised [IOA’s] Signature Universal Offer” which is alleged in the filed pleading to be “offering the highest commissions to its insurance agents in the industry for new and residual business [60%]…allowing IOA Insurance Agents to keep their own book of business and allowing all IOA Insurance Agents to freely leave IOA at any time and retain ownership of all their insurance accounts.”

The Operative Complaint now pending in Federal Court alleges, in part, that Plaintiff agreed to become an IOA agent under the terms of IOA’s Signature Offer, however, in one of the alleged Federal Civil RICO Schemes, Plaintiff was defrauded based upon a “[Failure] to disclose that IOA would take 5% out of owed commissions for a Risk Service Fee.”  The Complaint further alleges that “[t]his scheme is and was perpetrated through mail and wire fraud upon Plaintiff and other IOA Agents.”

If you have any information relative to the allegations regarding IOA’s Risk Service Fee a/k/a Risk Score Fee,  or as to the character and reputations of John Ritenour, Heath Ritenour or Insurance Office of America, please contact us at [email protected].  All communications will remain confidential unless otherwise permitted by federal or state law, rules of procedure, evidence or Court order.

***THIS IS NOT A LAWYER ADVERTISEMENT OR SOLICITATION***

This Announcement is for informational purposes only and is not a solicitation for any individual having any alleged claims against any of the Defendants named above and, should we receive a request for representation to prosecute or defend claims as to these Defendants, Farrow Law will decline the same and the same applies to anyone seeking representation by the firm based upon this release.  This case has not gone to trial, nor have any of the allegations herein above been established as evidence in a court of law or otherwise as to any defendant. 

CONTACT:

Jay FarrowFounder Farrow Law Firm
954-252-9818 | [email protected]