TDCI Wins Insurance Revocation Against Sumner County Criminal Agent

NASHVILLE – The Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance (TDCI) announces the license revocation and a $100,000 fine against insurance producer Elizabeth Nicole Short (Sumner County).

The punishments were recently ordered by an Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) and followed a May 14, 2015, default hearing on the matter. TDCI had charged Ms. Short with violating five different insurance laws on numerous occasions and the ALJ found her guilty of a total of 84 intentional violations of the law.  (The Department’s initial order is available here.) 

Ms. Short admitted to misappropriating consumer premium payments and redirecting them for her own personal use when investigated by the Insurance Division’s Fraud Investigation Section.  Ms. Short also pled guilty to criminal charges of theft (a Class C Felony) in Sumner County for the same underlying conduct.

“There is no place in Tennessee’s insurance market for conduct like Ms. Short’s,” said TDCI Assistant Commissioner Michael Humphreys.  “We have over 46,000 licensed resident agents in this state and an additional 110,000 nonresident agents.  The vast majority of these agents are good, hardworking folks that go to bat every day for the consumer. Ms. Short’s actions do not reflect their efforts.”

Humphreys continued: “TDCI stands with and for the insurance consumer. Kicking rogue agents out of the market is a significant benefit to Tennesseans and Tennessee’s insurance industry.” 

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