BALTIMORE, Maryland –- The Maryland Insurance Administration has launched an investigation into whether an insurance broker, William R. Miller, sold bogus insurance policies to car rental operators. The state agency revoked Miller’s license and fined him $100,000 in January, after he was charged with committing an insurance scam that primarily targeted African-American-owned funeral businesses.

"Apparently, Mr. Miller attended at least one or two car rental industry shows or seminars and solicited business," said Ronald Sallow, associate commissioner with the state agency's Insurance Fraud Division. "So far, we know of two individuals in the rental car business who met him at the shows and purchased coverage that we do not believe exists. We're concerned that there are folks out there who think they have insurance coverage when they do not. That is our primary concern. We'd hate to see someone suffer a catastrophic loss of some sort and make a claim, only to find out that there is no policy."

Allegations that Miller and a partner, Donna Mannino, sold bogus policies to car rental operators didn't surface until February, after their insurance licenses had already been revoked. Mannino was fined $50,000 as a result of the earlier investigation.

Neither Miller not Mannino could be reached for comment.

Following the original investigation, Miller and Mannino were charged with pretending to establish comprehensive insurance programs for business clients. According to the Insurance Administration, in some instances Miller and Mannino collected premiums for policies that didn't exist. In other instances, they allegedly purchased policies but over-billed their clients and charged fees for services they never performed, the agency said.

According to the Maryland Insurance Administration, company names tied to the alleged funeral insurance scam included North American Risk Management, Corporation Risk International, National Management Systems, National Network Solutions, Western Funeral Insurance Services, National Funeral Insurance Services, Safe Harbor Holdings and NMS Wakefield.

The Insurance Fraud Division encourages rental operators who have purchased policies from any of these companies to contact Chief Investigator William Bokel, at (410) 230-4230.