Arrests for December 2000
These arrests were made possible through the cooperation of the Frauds Bureau, law enforcement, the insurance industry and the public.
To report suspected incidents of insurance fraud, call 1-888-FRAUDNY
CAUGHT!
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WHAT A DIFFERENCE A DAY MAKES
New Rochelle Man Arrested on 12/26/00.
Charged with insurance fraud.
The suspect in this case reported his car stolen from North Avenue in New Rochelle between 6:00 p.m. and 6:10 p.m. on 12/12/00. However, 15 hours earlier, at 3:05 a.m. on 12/11/00, the NYPD discovered the car in Queens, stripped. The Frauds Bureau and the New Rochelle Police Department carried out the arrest.
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IMPOSSIBLE!
Brooklyn Resident Arrested on 12/20/00.
Charged with insurance fraud.
The defendant in this case allegedly reported his car stolen from the street outside a Home Depot in Brooklyn. He claimed to have last seen the car at 7:30 p.m. on 7/6/00. However, an investigation conducted by the Frauds Bureau and the NYPD revealed that the car was observed by security staff and a State Trooper in a rest area on I-95 in Virginia at 10:00 p.m. on the same day.
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SCAMMING THE WORKERS’ COMPENSATION SYSTEM
Insurance Agent Arrested on 12/19/00.
Charged with insurance fraud in the 3rd degree.
An investigation by the Frauds Bureau and the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office resulted in the arrest of a self-employed insurance agent for allegedly receiving disability benefits under false pretenses. The Long Island man was charged with falsely claiming that he was unable to work and, from 6/99 to 1/00, collecting nearly $12,500 in benefits to which he was not entitled.
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BROTHER/SISTER ACT
Restaurant Employees Arrested on 12/18/00.
Charged with insurance fraud in the 3rd degree, grand larceny in the 2nd degree, conspiracy in the 5th degree, false instrument for filing and false written statements.
A sister and brother were charged in this case with falsely reporting their 1995 Mercedes Benz stolen in 12/98 and subsequently filing a theft claim with their insurer. An investigation revealed that the car was recovered in an NYPD/FBI sting operation after the defendants allegedly "gave up" the car for the insurance.
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WINTER STORMS, INSURANCE WINDFALLS
Lewistan Man Arrested on 12/15/00.
Charged with two counts of insurance fraud in the 2nd degree and one count of scheme to defraud in the 1st degree.
The defendant in this case was arrested on 12/15/00 on charges that between 1/96 and 12/99, he filed numerous fraudulent claims for damage to his home from winter storms. During the four-year period, he allegedly collected more than $250,000 in benefits from American Bankers Insurance Company. An additional claim for $50,000 filed with Zurich Insurance Company was denied. A joint investigation conducted over 18 months by the Frauds Bureau and the Niagara County District Attorney’s office led to the arrest. The District Attorney’s Office contends that this defendant had the cooperation of a contractor who did minor repairs on his home. The contractor was previously found guilty in a separate case involving a stolen vehicle.
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NO MORE WAITING
New York City Resident Arrested on 12/11/00.
Charged with insurance fraud in the 3rd degree and offering a false instrument for filing in the 1st degree.
A waiter at a Manhattan restaurant was arrested and accused of reporting to the New York City Police Department that his car was stolen during a carjacking incident. However, an investigation conducted by the Frauds Bureau and the NYPD revealed that the defendant had fallen behind in leasing payments and had allegedly given the car up in order to collect the insurance benefits. The New Jersey State Police had been informed about the "give-up" and were already in possession of the car when this defendant fraudulently reported the carjacking.
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SUPER SALE
Man Arrested on 12/5/00.
Charged with illegal possession of a vehicle identification number, forgery of a vehicle identification number, forgery in the 2nd degree and criminal possession of a forged instrument in the 2nd degree.
Following an investigation conducted by the Frauds Bureau and the NYPD Auto Crime Division, this suspect was arrested on charges that he sold a VIN kit to an NYPD undercover officer for $2,800.
Four More Arrested on 12/6/00.
Charged with illegal possession of a vehicle identification number in the 1st degree and forgery of a vehicle identification number in the 2nd degree.
- Two Bronx brothers were arrested and charged with selling a VIN kit for $400 to a confidential informant of the NYPD.
- In a separate case, a Bronx resident and his associate from Manhattan were arrested for allegedly selling a VIN kit for $1,500 to a confidential informant of the NYPD.
A VIN kit is the term used for a legitimate vehicle identification number that is to be affixed to a stolen auto in order to conceal the fact that it is stolen property.
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WHO NEEDS GOLF CLUBS?
State Worker Arrested on 12/6/00.
Charged with criminal possession of a forged instrument in the 2nd degree and insurance fraud in the 4th degree.
A joint investigation by the Frauds Bureau and the Herkimer County District Attorney’s Office brought about the arrest of a New York State Thruway Authority employee on 12/6/00. The man submitted a claim to his homeowners insurer stating that golf clubs had been stolen from the rear of his truck. He subsequently submitted a receipt as proof of replacement of the golf clubs. However, evidence uncovered during the investigation alleged that the receipt was forged.
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DUAL PERSONALITY
New York City Worker Arrested on 12/5/00.
Charged with mail fraud.
The defendant in this case was arrested and charged with submitting a fraudulent claim for $500,000 to Prudential Life Insurance Company alleging that his brother had died accidentally in Nigeria from a head injury sustained in a fall. The defendant also submitted a cause of death certificate signed by a doctor associated with General Hospital Isolo in Nigeria and a burial certificate to substantiate the claim. An investigation conducted by the Frauds Bureau and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service revealed that both documents were counterfeit. The doctor and a cemetery attendant later admitted that they had concocted the story of the death. Furthermore, DMV records indicate that the defendant and the brother on whom he had taken out the Prudential policy appear to be the same person.
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THEY GIVE-UP
Five Downstate Residents Arrested on 12/5/00.
Charged with insurance fraud in the 3rd degree, grand larceny in the 3rd degree, false business records and false reporting of an incident.
The Frauds Bureau, the New York City Police Department Auto Crime Division and the Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office conducted an investigation that led to the arrests on 12/5/00 of five persons who allegedly "gave up" their autos and then fraudulently reported them stolen.
