Arrests for May 2008
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!
*********************************************
- NOT ENTITLED
Arrested on 5/23/08
Chargedwith criminal possession of a forged instrument in the 2nd degree, insurance fraud in the 3rd degree and violation of the Workers' Compensation Law
Following a work-related injury, this suspect began collecting lost wage benefits. However, investigators from the Frauds Bureau discovered that he returned to work and from 10/26/07 through 3/8/08, he collected $4,264 in benefits to which he was not entitled.
- LOST AND FOUND
Arrested on 5/22/08
Chargedwith insurance fraud in the 4th degree, grand larceny in the 4th degree and falsifying business records in the 1st degree
An upstate woman filed a claim with New York Central Mutual Insurance Company on 6/20/07 stating that her laptop computer had been stolen. In support of the claim, she included a receipt as proof of purchase and the insurer paid out $1,983 for the loss. However, an investigation by the Frauds Bureau uncovered evidence that the receipt was fraudulent in that it reflected the purchase of a laptop by someone other than the suspect. In fact, the laptop had never been stolen at all and has been recovered by investigators.
- NOT MARRIED
Arrested on 5/20/08
Chargedwith insurance fraud in the 4th degree
An investigation by the Frauds Bureau and the Bethlehem, NY, Police Department led to the arrest of this suspect on a charge of insurance fraud. He applied for health insurance through his employer, stating on the application that the coverage would include him, his wife and their two children. Their marriage, the application alleged, had taken place in Ontario, Canada. However, evidence revealed that the wife was actually his girlfriend and the children were hers alone, not his. Before the fraud was discovered, his insurer paid $8,000 for medical treatment for the "family." He submitted the fraudulent application in order to gain coverage at the lower group rates.
- FRAUDULENT CERTIFICATES
Arrested on 5/20/08
Chargedwith fraudulent practices under Section 114-1 of the Workers' Compensation Law
A self-employed flooring contractor presented Certificates of Insurance to two companies stating that he had the required insurance coverage to perform work as a subcontractor. However, an investigation by the Frauds Bureau and the Suffolk County DA's Insurance Crime Bureau uncovered evidence that the Certificates were fraudulent and no such coverage existed. His actions caused a loss of $9,143 in premiums to the State Insurance Fund.
- ARRANGED CAR FIRE
Arrested on 5/15/08
Chargedwith insurance fraud in the 2nd, 3rd and 4th degrees, attempted grand larceny in the 2nd, 3rd and 4th degrees, falsifying business records in the 1st degree, perjury in the 2nd degree and falsely reporting an incident in the 2nd degree
The defendant in this case reported to AIG Insurance Company that his 2007 BMW was stolen. He claimed that he had gone to Florida on 1/30/08 and when he returned home to Staten Island in the evening of 2/3/08, he did not notice whether his car was in its parking space across from his home. At about 6 a.m. the next morning, he discovered the car missing. However, AIG's Special Investigations Unit reported to the Frauds Bureau that the car had been recovered on fire on Eastern Long Island early in the morning of 2/2/08 and the Suffolk County Arson Squad had deemed the fire incendiary. The Frauds Bureau and the NYPD's Organized Crime Control Bureau conducted an investigation into the loss. During an interview, the defendant admitted that he had arranged to have his car destroyed by fire in order to collect on an insurance claim.
- WHAT A PAIR
Arrested on 5/2/08
Chargedwith falsely reporting an incident and offering a false instrument for filing
A woman from Catskill, NY, filed a claim with Erie Insurance Company stating that jewelry had been stolen during a burglary at her home on 1/2/08. The insurer was concerned that the claim was fraudulent and reported its suspicions to the Frauds Bureau. However, when she was asked to swear to the facts as she had stated them, the suspect withdrew the claim. An investigation by the Frauds Bureau had further revealed that the suspect had made material misrepresentations on her application for coverage. She had denied having filed any past theft claims but records indicated that she had indeed filed such a claim about six months earlier. When confronted with this evidence, she confessed that the claim was fraudulent and implicated a man with whom she shared her home in the unsuccessful attempt to collect an insurance payout. Both suspects were arrested.
