Insurance Agent Arrested

The State Police's Insurance Fraud Unit arrested a Ville Platte insurance agent for unfair trade practices.   Last October, troopers received a criminal complaint about 65-year-old Melvin J. Lavergne of Ville Platte,  alleging that Lavergne failed to send insurance premiums collected from customers to the insurance companies.  Investigators says Lavergne failed to submit insurance premiums for four separate customer accounts resulting in seven cancellation notices being issued. The cancellations also affected the customers vehicle registration as well as their driver’s license status with the Office of Motor Vehicles. Lavergne was taken into custody without incident and booked into the Evangeline Parish Jail.