John R. Hagerty 609-984-1936

TRENTON - Attorney General Peter C. Harvey announced that a Camden County woman has been convicted of charges of conspiracy, theft by unlawful taking, and money laundering for stealing nearly $600,000 from Allstate Insurance Company’s Burlington County Office while employed as a Claims Process Specialist.

According to Vaughn L. McKoy, Director, Division of Criminal Justice and Greta Gooden Brown, Insurance Fraud Prosecutor, Linda Clements-Wright, 46, Sandstone Drive, Sicklerville, Camden County, was convicted following a jury trial before Burlington County Superior Court Judge John A. Almeida. Second degree crimes carry a maximum penalty of up to ten years in state prison and a fine of up to $150,000, while third degree crimes carry a maximum sentence of up to five years in state prison and a fine of up to $15,000. Clements Wright may also face civil insurance fraud fines pursuant to the Insurance Fraud Prevention Act. Clements-Wright was remanded to the custody of the Burlington County Jail pending sentencing.

The Burlington County jury found that between April, 1995 and September, 1998, Clements-Wright, while employed as a Claims Processing Specialist at Allstate Insurance Company’s Burlington County office, fraudulently issued more than 150 insurance claim checks totaling $594,369. The fraudulent checks were issued to at least 11 friends and relatives who were not entitled to the monies. The prosecution presented evidence that Clements-Wright had devised several schemes whereby unauthorized persons would receive and cash Allstate claim checks and then split the money. One scheme involved cashing claim checks payable to individuals purporting to be elderly Allstate claimants living in senior care facilities but who were unable to directly receive the funds. In another scheme, it was charged that Clements-Wright paid a ten percent commission to other persons who cashed the claim checks; Clements-Wright would keep the balance of the monies. In yet other instances, Clements-Wright issued unauthorized insurance claim checks to purported claimants for unreported property damage claims in return for a portion of the monies.

Insurance Fraud Prosecutor Gooden-Brown noted that six co-conspirators who cashed insurance claim checks for Clements-Wright previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy charges and have been sentenced by Burlington County Superior Court Judge Marvin E. Schlosser. The co-conspirators are identified as:

The investigation was conducted by the Division of Criminal Justice - Office of the Insurance Fraud Prosecutor which investigates and prosecutes civil and criminal insurance fraud cases. State Investigator Darrell Washington, Civil Investigator Christopher Wenger and Deputy Attorney General Jacqueline D. Smith were assigned to the investigation. DAG Smith represented the Division of Criminal Justice - Office of the Insurance Fraud Prosecutor at the trial. Allstate Insurance Company referred the matter to the Office of Insurance Fraud Prosecutor for criminal investigation.

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