Couple accused of using theater troupe’s credit card settles with insurer

A Connecticut couple who formerly lived in Tampa, Fla., has agreed to settle a subrogation lawsuit brought by Philadelphia Indemnity Insurance Co., which accused the couple of using a nonprofit theater group’s credit card in personal gain.

Costul said the couple, Lindsay Warfield and Randall Adkison, won more than $587,000 on the card. Philadelphia Indemnity, which covered the alleged theft losses, also sought interest, punitive damages, attorneys’ fees and other costs. The amount of the settlement was not disclosed in court documents filed last week in federal court in Connecticut.

“This case has been reported resolved. “In lieu of continuing to hold the case open, the clerk is directed to administratively close this case, without prejudice to reopening on or before October 21, 2024,” the judge’s order, filed following a settlement conference, reads.

The alleged fraud highlighted a stunning fall from grace for one of the nonprofit theater world’s rising stars. For nearly a decade, Warfield served as chapter director of the Florida State Thespian Society, an affiliate of the Educational Theater Association, which was insured under a policy by Philadelphia Insurance. In 2020, she was named Theater Educator of the Year by the Florida Association for Theater Education. That year, she was a drama teacher at George M. Steinbrenner High School in Tampa, according to published reports.

As director of the state chapter, Warfield had access to the association’s bank accounts and checkbook and had the authority to approve credit card payments for the business. The society has bands in schools across the country and an annual festival in Tampa, its website shows.

Warfield’s non-business expenses allegedly included payments for food, clothing, furniture, plane and beauty salon tickets, custom car and veterinary services, and payments to vendors including Airbnb, Universal Studios, Sea World, Disney, Broadway and various museums. and cinemas.

According to the complaint, the couple moved to Connecticut from Florida shortly before the Educational Theater Association’s board of directors in March 2023 discovered the alleged embezzlement and suspended Warfield.

Philadelphia Insurance’s lawsuit alleged that after the fraud was discovered by the nonprofit’s board, Adkison, who was assistant director of the Florida chapter, deleted all festival registration data prior to 2023.

When asked about the credit card charges, Warfield admitted to embezzling money for personal use, such as AirBnB stays and Wayfair expenses. She said she “kept her business credit cards in the same e-wallet on her phone and sometimes used the business credit cards for personal items by mistake.”

Read more about the subrogation process.

TOPICS
Carriers