TRENTON
- Attorney General Zulima V. Farber and
Division of Criminal Justice Director Gregory
A. Paw announced that a Union County man
has been indicted for allegedly receiving
a stolen car.
According
to Insurance Fraud Prosecutor Greta Gooden
Brown, Jaguar Kevin Reed, 26, of Union,
was charged with third-degree receiving
stolen property. Third-degree crimes carry
a maximum punishment of five years in state
prison and a criminal fine of up to $15,000.
The
indictment, which was handed up Fri., Aug.
18, by an Essex County Grand Jury alleges
that on July 18, 2005, Reed knowingly possessed
and sold a 2002 Cadillac Escalade that had
been reported stolen. An investigation by
the Division of Criminal Justice - Office
of the Insurance Fraud Prosecutor revealed
that the Cadillac had been “retagged”
with a new vehicle identification number.
By changing the VIN plates, thieves are
able to conceal the fact that a car has
been reported stolen.
State
Investigator Jose Vendas and Deputy Attorney
General Richard W. Queen were assigned to
the investigation. Queen presented the case
to the Essex County Grand Jury. The indictment
is merely an accusation and the defendant
is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
Prosecutor
Brown noted that some important cases have
begun with anonymous tips from the public.
People who are concerned about insurance
cheating and have any information about
a fraud can report it anonymously by calling
our toll-free hotline at 1-877-55-FRAUD,
or visit our Web site at www.NJInsuranceFraud.org.
State regulations permit an award to be
paid to an eligible person who provides
information that leads to an arrest, prosecution
and conviction for insurance fraud.
The
Office of the Insurance Fraud Prosecutor
was established by the Automobile Insurance
Cost Reduction Act of 1998 (AICRA). The
Office is the centralized state agency that
investigates and prosecutes both civil and
criminal insurance fraud, as well as Medicaid
fraud. Criminal convictions for insurance
fraud can result in fines and imprisonment,
while civil penalties can include substantial
fines and referral for revocation or suspension
of professional licenses.
|