Insurance Agent Gets 30 Days In Jail For Selling Fake Permits

HILLSBORO, OR — A formerly licensed insurance producer and consultant was sentenced last month to 30 days in jail by a Washington County judge after pleading guilty to felony theft in January.

Roy Francis "Skip" Molen Jr., 47, was indicted in November 2017 on several felony theft charges stemming from the illegal sale of international driving permits from Molen's Hillsboro-based insurance office.

Molen sold his forged permits to more than 200 people for $250 each. The permits are "typically sold in the U.S. for $25 by two authorized distributors: the American Automobile Association (AAA) and the American Automobile Touring Alliance," according to the Oregon Department of Consumer Business & Services.

The investigation into Molen's activities reportedly began after one of Molen's fraud victims proffered the illegal permit to a Hillsboro police officer during a traffic stop. After recognizing the permit as fraudulent, the officer questioned the driver who said he obtained it from Molen.

“As the state regulator we work hard to investigate and penalize fraudulent professionals," said Andrew Stolfi, Oregon insurance commissioner. “We encourage Oregonians to call our advocates any time they have a concern with any of their financial products and services, or the professionals and businesses that provide them.”

Molen's activities had apparently been going on for the past couple years, with his indictment indicating his first theft occurred in July 2015.

Adding insult to injury, Molen's wife filed for divorce in February 2018, according to court documents.

Roy Molen booking photo via Washington County Sheriff's Office