Combined Insurance Company Of America CICA Employees May be Guilty of Breaking the Law while following Company Practices Esablished for Years Chicago Illinois

All the employees of CICA need to know that they MAY be guilty of breaking Federal laws and could go to Federal prison. See below what you, too, could be charged with and what this may mean to all of you:

"Conspiracy to Defraud the Government" All you have to do is put phoney manweeks (or 'ghost agents' as the government calls them) on report. This means that the IRS thinks that you are ripping them off by under-reporting your income and over-reporting an agent's income while that agent is not working.

"Conspiracy to Commmit Mail Fraud, Aiding and Abetting Mail Fraud and Mail Fraud" Now -- All you have to do is mail the reports concerning 'ghost agents' to Chicago.

"Conspiracy to Launder Money" Now, all you have to do is to cash those checks generated by the 'ghost agent' or have that 'ghost agent' cash them and give you back the money. Technically, when you double-pad and take all the production for a 100-call, an award, etc. and pay the other agent out of your own pocket, you are laundering money.

Now, I hope I got your attention. Don't let what happened to me and 2 other employees in the State Of Ohio happen to you. (There were other co-conspirators named by the government who probably got out of it by testifying to the government wanted). We know of several others.

The three of us that were eventually convicted had been with CICA over 13+ years. One was the largest District Manager ever in the history of Combined.

The company would have you believe that the whole district here in S.E. Ohio was terminated for Breach of Contract and for Conversion of Company Funds. That is not true and we won that case in Civil Court before by a jury of our peers finding unamiously for NOT GUILTY!

The truth of the matter is, after not receiving her bonus (the whole U.S. had received theirs), Sales Manager, Debbi Lent sent a fax to Fred Prudhomme, basically accusing him of sexual discrimination based on sexual harassment which had occurred several years earlier at a Regional Meeting. When the AON Building personnel somehow got ahold of the fax, Richard Ravin, CEO and President wanted Ms. Lent fired because she sent the fax, even after Richard and his wife, Judy, had told her to keep it quiet during dinner with Pete Vasilakos and Debbi Lent in Chicago at the Palm Rest. Their rationale was that "everybody changes, and Fred Prudhomme had done so since that incident."

D.M., Pete Vasilakos, wrote 3 letters following the fax to Richard and Judy Ravin and to Wick Thurber, but we ultimately went on a "mini-strike" here in Ohio and were eventually terminated. At that time, we took our whole team with us to Family Heritage here in Ohio; a much better move.

Before I finish, I want to quote the United States District of Attorney, Debbie Solove, which was printed in one of our home-town papers, "the insurance company and the policyholders are not really the victims of the crime." My question would be, if they were not the victims, then why would Richard Ravin and CEO instigate this action? Could it have been retribution for insulting his boy, Fred Prudhomme? Could it have been retribution for winning the Civil Case? Could it have been retribution for going to another company? We are told that the last 5 & one-half years that we have been gone, the company has lost, conservatively, $15 million dollars in our area. Only we could staff it and only we could run it.

We believe that Mr. Richard M. Ravin is showing his true colors and his sheer meanness. Richard goes around spouting the words of W. Clement Stone, but he certainly doesn't live them. Do you believe for one minute that the great W. Clement Stone (who Pete and Debbi knew personally and was invited to his funeral and dinner following the funeral) would want to take Debbi K. Lent away from her 9-year old granddaughter whom she has raised since birth and put her in prison? Do you believe that Mr. Stone would take me away from my 77-year old mother who is dependant upon me? And, as for Pete and for all he has done for this company, why would Mr. Stone punish him for doing what is being done today and has been done forever? Do YOU believe that we 3 should face up to 70 years in a Federal Prison and hundreds of thousands of dollar of fines for doing what is considered a standard company practice, which, but the way, does not benefit any of us, but does benefit the executives with their bonuses and the company with what appears to be large amount of agents going door-to-door? Doesn't in make you wonder if the stock-holders would really like to know exactly how many agents CICA has? And, perhaps the stockholders would like to see how much stock Richard sold at the end of June. What a coincidence!!!we were found guilty in June and Richard dumps tons of stock!

Now, what happens when somebody turns against you; especially people you have helped over and over? Would you consider this person worth your respect? Could you afford to fight Big Business? And, if you won the first round, then try taking on Big Brother (the government with all their money & resources). Because that is exactly where CICA will send your information and proclaim under oath that they knew nothing of this. Ha!Ha! The executives not only know, they order it through their many conference calls, the pressure to keep the manweeks, i.e, "Get those agents on report, not matter what it takes;" if those agents don't make that magic $100 manweek, then give them some of your production;" "you can't fire anybody this week;" etc. Sound familiar? You bet it does.

Last Monday, while most of you were calling in phoney manweeks, Richard was in Chicago on the golf course. Do you believe he was worried for one minute that you were out there breaking the law? Probably, like us, you weren't even aware that you are breaking the law. But, remember this, especially with the upcoming holiday season, it will be much better sitting around the kitchen table with your family and friends, than it will be sitting in a Federal Prison Visiting Room waiting on family and friends to vist with you for an hour or so.

So, the bottom line is this: Stop Putting People on Report Who Did Not Earn An Income! Not even those who give you permission. Even those who give you permission (because they want to keep their insurance license, or their hospitalization, or just need time to take care of personal business) will testify for you because that would make them a part of the conspriracy. Believe me, they will testify to what the government needs!

Steven
Cochocton, Ohio
U.S.A.