An investigation into Cottingham Insurance has uncovered a few more isolated cases of fraudulent policies, but the state insurance commissioner said, after looking at hundreds of policies, it appears the fraud is limited to commercial accounts and not any held by individuals.

Insurance Commissioner Jim Poolman said he will report next week on the scope of the fraud.

Diane Cottingham, owner of the agency, which has offices in Underwood, Washburn and Bismarck, committed suicide Saturday afternoon, hours after she missed an appointment with Poolman to remove her insurance license.

She was found at 4 p.m. in her vehicle east of Max by McLean County Sheriff's Department officers, who located her by activating the vehicle's OnStar navigation transponder.

Poolman asked law enforcement to check on her after she failed to show at his office for their 11 a.m. appointment, when she was to be served an order to cease and desist from doing business.

Poolman's office discovered late last week that Cottingham, 45, had taken $300,000 in premiums for false policies dating back to 2004. She manufactured the policy paperwork and paid out claims as part of the deception.

So far, it's known that the fraudulent policies were for Cenexes in Bismarck and Mandan and for a fuel transport subsidiary owned by Cenexes in Beulah, Hazen, Glen Ullin and New Salem.

Poolman has had seven insurance investigators looking through the Cottingham Insurance records this week. He said the focus has been primarily on a relatively small percentage of accounts that were direct-billed from the Cottingham agency, rather than through the insurance provider company.

He said investigators are also looking through policyholder lists from insurance providers to cross-check customer lists and determine whether policies are valid.

The agency offices have remained open for business with other licensed insurance agents and employees. Poolman said only a few of the agencies' customers have taken their business elsewhere.

He said the agencies have been getting a lot of support from the communities and customers, at the same time his office has been getting public support for the investigation.

"Our goal here is to make sure the policyholder is protected and that the agency survives," Poolman said. "This is a longstanding agency in the community."

(Reach reporter Lauren Donovan at 888-303-5511 or lauren@;westriv.com.)