Locust insurance agent Ashley Barnhardt’s booking photo. Courtesy Stanly County Sheriff

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LOCUST — A Locust insurance agent has been charged with 72 felonies after allegedly defrauding clients by using their identities to gain illicit commissions on life insurance policies.

North Carolina Insurance Commissioner Mike Causey announced the arrest of 43-year-old Ashley Barnhardt, an insurance agent who was charged with 22 felony counts of financial identity theft, 25 felony counts of common law forgery and 25 felony counts of obtaining property by false pretense.

Barnhardt was taken before judicial officials in Stanly County and given a pre-trial secured bond of $152,500; she has since posted her bond and is awaiting an initial court date at the Stanly County District Court on Monday.

“It’s always disturbing when an agent uses their position to benefit themselves illegally,” Commissioner Causey said. “I’m grateful to our agents for uncovering and pursuing this case. I’ve pledged to fight insurance-related crimes by aggressively pursuing and prosecuting them in North Carolina.”

According to the NC Department of Insurance’s Criminal Investigations Division, Barnhardt allegedly used her capacity as an insurance agent to retain personal identifying information of clients and their beneficiaries. She then used this information to manipulate policy applications for her own personal financial gain, collecting payments from two different life insurance companies.

Barnhardt, owner of Barnstormer Insurance Group, LLC, allegedly collected more than $25,000 in fraudulent payments with crimes dating as far back as 2023.

The National Association of Insurance Commissioners’ database reveals that she has been a licensed producer since 2019 and was appointed with seven life insurance companies.

Defense attorney Stacy Fulcher of Albemarle filed a notice of appearance on Wednesday to represent Barnhardt.