Insurance Agent Julie Diane Shinar, convicted of embezzlement and sentenced Feb. 26 in Long Beach Superior Court, has started serving three years formal probation and was ordered to pay $29,158 in restitution to her victims.

The embezzlement was discovered during a routine audit of Shinar’s trust account, according to a statement released Monday by the California Department of Insurance.

The former Long Beach agent received cash payments from clients and instead of remitting the payments to the insurance carrier, used the money personally between November 2011 and February 2013, according to authorities.

Shinar used payments from some clients to cover the policy premiums for whose cash she embezzled, in a manner similar to a Ponzi scheme. Clients who paid by check never received a policy, and many were unaware of Shinar’s actions.

“Shinar violated her fiduciary responsibility as a trusted insurance broker to scam consumers,” said Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones. “Shinar’s theft left policyholders exposed to significant financial risk, leaving them liable and without coverage.”