City Man Caught As Fugitive From Justice [Update]

Editor's Note: This story has been revised to incorporate information provided by the office of the Washington State insurance commissioner.

A Norwalk man was captured in the city Wednesday morning as a fugitive from justice from Washington State, police said.

Kevin W. Kolenda was spotted on Day Street in South Norwalk and reportedly was taken into custody in a vacant lot after running from officers.

Kolenda, 55, is wanted by Washington's insurance commissioner, Mike Kreidler, for allegedly selling insurance policies in the state five times without a license.

Kolenda's company, which has operated as Golf Marketing Worldwide LLC and other names, sells insurance to promoters of golf tournaments where a cash prize is offered for a participant who sinks a hole in one.

A warrant for his arrest was issued by a judge after Kolenda failed to appear for arraignment in King County Superior Court in Seattle on Sept. 5. The warrant accuses Kolenda of five counts of Engaging in an Unauthorized Insurance Transaction, a Class B felony.

Wednesday afternoon, Rich Roesler, a spokesman for Kreidler's office, said, "We're very pleased to see that Mr. Kolenda is under arrest. He has a history here of selling insurance illegally and then failing to make good on legitimate claims.

"We tried ordering him to stop selling coverage here. He didn't stop. We fined him; he never paid. Criminal charges are apparently what it takes to get Mr. Kolenda's attention."

Kreidler's investigation of Kolenda dates back to 2003, when Kolenda's company allegedly sold a "hole-in-one" policy for a tournament in Bremerton, WA. In a news release issued Aug. 23 of this year, Kreidler said a golfer sunk a hole in one, but Kolenda wouldn't pay a prize of $10,000.

The news release said Kolenda sold a hole-in-one insurance policy in 2004 for a tournament in Vancouver, WA, for a prize of $50,000. A participant sunk a hole-in-one, but Kolenda refused to pay the prize, Kreidler said.

And in 2010, the release said, Kolenda sold coverage for a $25,000 prize for a tournament in Snohomish, WA, where a player got a hole in one.

"(The player's) golf partners signed notarized forms attesting to the hole in one," the release said. "The prize remains unpaid, despite numerous calls and emails from the partners and tournament officials."

In his release, Kreidler said similiar allegations have been made against Kolenda in "numerous other states," including Montana, Ohio, Georgia, California, New York, Hawaii, Albama, Massachusetts, Florida, Connecticut and North Carolina.

In Washington State, Kolenda and a purported principal of his company, Tim Kirchhof, are specifically accused of violating the mandates of a Cease and Desist Order issued by the insurance commissioner Feb. 6, 2004, to stop selling insurance without a license.

In a "Final Findings of Facts, Conclusion of Law, and Order On Hearing," issued in July, 2008, the office of the insurance commissioner ordered  Kolenda and Kirchhof to pay a fine of $25,000 for illegally sellilng insurance for a golf tournament in May 24, 2004.

"(I)t is unclear whether Mr. Kirchhof exists," the finding states. "If he exists, (he) has represented himself as 'VP of Golf Marketing.' "

The findings also ordered Kolenda and Kirchhof to pay a fine of $100,000 for illegally selling insurance to golf tournaments twice in July 2006 and twice in August 2006.