Prison and a $273K bill for Snohomish insurance agent’s fraud

Vicki Boser, 58, was sentenced Tuesday to two years in federal prison. She was also ordered to repay clients.

SEATTLE — A Snohomish insurance agent was sentenced Tuesday to two years in federal prison for defrauding clients of hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Vicki Boser, 58, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Seattle to one count wire fraud in August. She was charged last year with five counts for scheming to steal from clients, brokers, and financiers from 2014 to 2016.

Boser established her company, InsuranceTek, in 2003, according to court documents. She often helped family-owned small businesses secure insurance policies to cover their operations. Her clients included private investigators, mortgage firms and security guard companies. They were based across the United States, from Ohio to Texas, Illinois to Tennessee. The businesses she worked with were often in high-risk industries where insurance is a must.

While InsuranceTek had about a half-dozen employees, Boser gave final approval over all business moves. And Boser was the only person allowed to work on some “VIP” clients, according to prosecutors.

Boser would find carriers willing to insure her clients. As required by law, she collected the payments on the insurance premiums from them. She was then supposed to send those funds to the insurance companies.

She didn’t.

Instead, Boser pocketed some of those premiums.

For example, in 2015, Boser secured insurance for a Texas-based business that works on foreclosed homes. When it was time to renew that policy, she collected over $153,000 to pay for it. But she only made a down payment of under $6,000 and kept the rest.

Boser then defaulted on payments, leading her to cancel the Texas company’s insurance policy — without informing the company.

The business, one of Boser’s VIP clients, had to pay more than $106,000 to reinstate its insurance.

In other cases, Boser took out loans from financing companies in a client’s name without their knowledge and then kept the money. And she sometimes created fake insurance certificates to make it appear a company was insured when it wasn’t. She could then steal the payments a company made to get the “insurance.”

“The theft was not a one-time, isolated lapse in judgment but, rather, a decision that Boser made over and over again over the course of years,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Lyndsie Schmalz wrote in court papers. “And every time that Boser made the decision to enrich herself at the expense of one of her clients, she not only took their hard-earned money, but she also exposed them to the potentially devastating consequences of operating a high-risk business without insurance coverage.”

Boser often spent the stolen money at local casinos, according to bank records. From 2013 to 2015, she reportedly lost almost $285,000 at Tulalip casinos.

The investigation into Boser’s conduct began when the FBI received information on complaints against her via the state Office of the Insurance Commissioner. In 2017, the state barred Boser and her company from selling insurance in Washington.

At sentencing Tuesday, U.S. District Court Judge James Robart reportedly compared Boser’s actions to a Ponzi scheme.

Robart ordered her to pay over $273,000 in restitution to companies and brokers she defrauded.

Jake Goldstein-Street: 425-339-3439; jake.goldstein-street@heraldnet.com. Twitter: @GoldsteinStreet.

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Local News

Olivia Vanni / The Herald 
The Mukilteo Lighthouse. Built in 1906, it’s one of the most iconic landmarks in Snohomish County.
The Mukilteo Lighthouse. Built in 1906, it’s one of the most iconic landmarks in Snohomish County. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Mukilteo mayor vetoes council-approved sales tax

The tax would have helped pay for transportation infrastructure, but was also set to give Mukilteo the highest sales tax rate in the state.

Marysville Mayor Jon Nehring gives the state of the city address at the Marysville Civic Center on Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2024, in Marysville, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Marysville council approves interim middle housing law

The council passed the regulations to prevent a state model code from taking effect by default. It expects to approve final rules by October.

x
State audit takes issue with Edmonds COVID grant monitoring

The audit report covered 2023 and is the third since 2020 that found similar issues with COVID-19 recovery grant documentation.

Bothell
Bothell man pleads guilty to sexual abuse of Marysville middle schoolers

The man allegedly sexually assaulted three students in exchange for vapes and edibles in 2022. His sentencing is set for Aug. 29.

Larsen talks proposed Medicaid cuts during Compass Health stop in Everett

Compass Health plans to open its new behavioral health center in August. Nearly all of the nonprofit’s patients rely on Medicaid.

District 2 candidates differ in public safety approach

Incumbent Paula Rhyne is facing challenger Ryan Crowther. The third candidate, Jonathan Shapiro, is no longer seeking the seat.

From left to right, Edmonds City Council Position 3 candidates Joseph Ademofe, Alex Newman and Erika Barnett.
Amid budget crisis, Edmonds City Council candidates talk revenue, affordability

Three newcomers are facing off for Position 3 on the council, currently held by council President Neil Tibbott.

Community members gather for the dedication of the Oso Landslide Memorial following the ten-year remembrance of the slide on Friday, March 22, 2024, at the Oso Landslide Memorial in Oso, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
The Daily Herald garners 6 awards from regional journalism competition

The awards recognize the best in journalism from media outlets across Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Washington.

Everett
Everett approves new fines for non-emergency lifts

The fire department will only issue fines for non-emergency lift assists at licensed care facilities, not for individuals at home calling 911.

Guns for sale at Caso’s Gun-A-Rama in Jersey City, New Jersey, which has been open since 1967. (Photo by Aristide Economopoulos/New Jersey Monitor)
After suing, WA gets carveout from Trump administration plan to return gun conversion devices

The Trump administration has agreed to not distribute devices that turn semi-automatic… Continue reading

The Wild Horse Wind and Solar Facility about 16 miles east of Ellensburg in central Washington is part of Puget Sound Energy’s clean energy portfolio. (Courtesy of Puget Sound Energy)
Megabill’s elimination of tax credits for clean energy projects could cost WA $8.7 billion

Washington households could see electricity costs increase $115 per year by 2029; 21,800 workers could lose their jobs by 2030, analysts say.

Everett mayor candidates focus on affordability, city budget in costly race

As incumbent Cassie Franklin seeks a third term in office, three candidates are looking to unseat her.

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.