Business & Tech

13 States Revoke Former Soul Food Eatery Owner's Insurance Licenses

Us Restaurant's Earl O'Garro is the focus of a federal probe into nearly $700,000 in missing premiums and nearly $300,000 in defaulted loan payments.

Thirteen states, including Connecticut, have revoked or suspended the insurance license of the embattled former owner of a city nightclub and eatery following allegations of fraud and at least six others are considering similar measures, according to the Hartford Courant.

Earl O'Garro, who along with his wife Kendra operated Us Restaurant at 412 Main Street, in the building that formerly housed Titanium Nightclub in Middletown, is accused of defaulting on a $100,000 state loan for his Hybrid Insurance Group and failing to pay $670,000 in premiums to Starr Indemnity and National Casualty, excess liability insurers for the city of Hartford, the Courant reports.

WNPR's Jeff Cohen has covered the O'Garro issue since the charges began in a series of stories.

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Alabama, Arizona, California, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Minnesota, North Carolina, New York, South Dakota and Tennessee state insurance boards have terminated O'Garro's non-resident licenses, according to a Courant investigation, and Michigan, Arkansas, Wisconsin, West Virginia, Colorado and Ohio may follow suit.

On Nov. 14, the Connecticut Insurance Department revoked O'Garro's Producer  and Surplus Lines Broker licenses.

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In September, the owner of the Main Street building filed eviction paperwork in court for non-payment of rent. Us Restaurant & Lounge, which opened in March, is charged with failing to pay its July and September rent and now, the Courant reports, of non-payment of wages.


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