A 51-year-old Florida woman and mother of five faces multiple felony charges after authorities alleged she pocketed more than $90,000 in insurance premiums meant to secure construction projects.
Checree Bryant was arrested on June 5 by agents with the Florida Department of Financial Services, according to Palm Beach County Jail records. Following her arrest, jail logs indicate she was released on bond the following evening. Bryant now faces five criminal counts, including three counts of embezzlement, one count of fraud, and one count of grand theft larceny.
The investigation centers around Bryant’s business, Innovative Bonding Services LLC. According to reports from local television station CBS 12, state investigators allege that Bryant sold three insurance bonds to different construction firms between May 2022 and May 2023.
The companies paid Bryant a combined total of $90,018. The businesses handed over the funds under the assumption that Bryant would place the money into a trust account and transfer it to the insurance companies backing their construction ventures.
Instead of routing the funds to the insurers, investigators allege that Bryant used the $90,018 to cover her own personal expenses. State officials also claim she collected an additional $30,000 in personal commissions from the transactions.
Outside of her insurance bonding business, Bryant operates a professional website where she markets herself as a mother of five and a professional life coach. On the site, she claims to have “helped 100’s of women achieve success” and writes that she has “climbed the corporate ladder, from the mailroom to the boardroom, left and launched two successful businesses.”
Her promotional materials highlight her personal communication style. “I’m known for my authenticity, transparency and candid ability to ask the right questions that lead you to your breakthrough,” her website states.
Representatives from the Florida Department of Financial Services did not immediately respond to requests for comment regarding the ongoing case.
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