Maryland insurance regulators stripped the license of a former Washington, D.C., agent who failed to return $50,000 in payments and $7,110 in commissions paid to him by Sun Life Financial.

Thomas R. Femister, a licensed life and health agent now living in Sarasota, Fla., had his license revoked by the Maryland Insurance Administration Aug. 26, 2009, records show.

In April 2009, Femister voluntarily surrendered his insurance license in Washington, D.C., for misappropriation of premium, MIA records show. Femister listed in Maryland records a business address on Connecticut Avenue in Washington, D.C., until July, when the address was changed to Sarasota, Fla.

In Maryland, MIA investigators found that Femister applied for a Sun Life single-payment annuity, paying the $79,000 premium with a personal check Sept. 15, 2008. The policy was issued four days later, and a few days later, he sought a full refund of the annuity contract and refund of the premium, MIA records show.

Sun Life sent a check to Femister and it was cashed Oct. 2, 2008. Five days later, Femister’s original check paying the premium was returned to Sun Life because of a “stop payment.”

Sun Life attempted to recover the $79,000 and his commission payment for the transaction. A total of $29,000 was repaid, records show.

In a letter, Femister told the MIA in April 2009 that the stop payment was a “bank error” and he contacted Sun Life to make arrangements for the outstanding balance, records indicate. However, a letter from the MIA sent to the Sarasota address in July was returned with handwritten lettering saying “refused,” records show.