A man, convicted in Pennsylvania of defrauding insurance clients, pleaded guilty this week to the same charges in New Jersey.

Thomas William Hurd

Thomas William Hurd, 53, of Bensalem, Pa., was one of four men who pleaded guilty in New Jersey court to stealing more than $500,000 in insurance premiums from their clients.

Hurd and the other men are former employees of a Bensalem insurance brokerage.

The other employees who pleaded guilty are Terrence Downs, 61, also of Bensalem; Christopher Melilli, 35, of Philadelphia, Pa.; and William Wolnski, 65, of Bayville, N.J. Each was named in a 2008 New Jersey grand jury indictment as defendants in the scheme while employed at T.I.C. Brokerage and Hurd Insurance Agency, two brokerages located in Bensalem. The companies had clients in New Jersey.

Hurd and Wolnski were formerly licensed to do business in New Jersey, as well.

The four were indicted on charges including theft by unlawful taking and theft by deception for what New Jersey prosecutors said was a scheme to accept premium funds from small businesses, including taxi and limousine companies, for commercial insurance, but never forwarding the funds to an insurer. Instead, the defendants allegedly pocketed the money, leaving their clients with invalid or no insurance.

Hurd and the other defendants also were accused of issuing fake insurance documents to their customers to make them believe they had coverage.

On Jan. 13, Hurd pleaded guilty to second-degree conspiracy and the New Jersey Office of the Attorney General said it will recommend a sentence of three years in state prison.

At the time of the grand jury indictment, Hurd was already serving time in a Philadelphia halfway house after pleading guilty to running the same scheme in Pennsylvania, and defrauding four premium finance companies and the state’s bureau of unemployment compensation out of a total of more than $1 million.

Downs pleaded guilty to third-degree conspiracy, Wolnski and Melilli to third-degree attempted theft by deception. The state plans to recommend probation for both men, according to a statement.

Sentencing for the four men is scheduled for March 17.