Less than a month after Stonetrust Commercial Insurance announced it had expanded into North Carolina, the workers’ compensation carrier has added South Carolina to its sphere of influence.
Based in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Stonetrust now writes workers’ comp and employers liability in 14 states, the company said in a news release. It is now accepting submissions from appointed independent insurance agencies for accounts in South Carolina, with an effective date of Jan. 15. Stonetrust pays 25% commission on new business in 2026.
Agencies interested in a Stonetrust appointment can inquire by clicking on the agent portal on the Stonetrust website. Stonetrust was founded in 1993 as a self-insurance fund. Michael Dileo is CEO.
And Amwins, a wholesale distributor of specialty insurance products, based in Charlotte, North Carolina, announced it has added Ricksmith Lawyers Professional Liability to its portfolio of products. Ricksmith was launched in 2023 and has been led by John Muller.
The coverage will be part of Amwins Program Underwriters and will expand Amwins’ excess and quota-share placements, the company said.
Dafud Iza, formerly vice president of Fiorella Insurance Agency, in Stuart, pleaded guilty in April to the scheme that paid low-income people $5 to $10 to sign up for ACA. Iza and co-conspirators gained commissions on the enrollments, but they knew that the would-be beneficiaries were not eligible and were unlikely to pay the federal health care plan’s premiums, prosecutors have said.
The plan defrauded the ACA program of $134 million.
Prosecutors said in a sentencing memorandum that Iza could have faced more years in prison under federal sentencing guidelines. But because he accepted responsibility, pleaded guilty and provided information about others involved, a 35-month sentence is appropriate, the U.S. Attorney’s office said. The judge agreed.