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TRENTON
- Attorney General Anne Milgram and Criminal
Justice Director Gregory A. Paw, announced
that a former Maplewood insurance agent
pleaded guilty today for stealing more than
$53,800 in insurance premium monies.
According
to Insurance Fraud Prosecutor Greta Gooden
Brown, Raymond Pearson, 56 of Indianapolis,
Indiana, pleaded guilty before Superior
Court Judge John Kennedy in Essex County
to a criminal accusation which charged him
with third-degree theft by failure to make
required disposition of property received.
At
the guilty plea hearing, Pearson, an insurance
agent formerly licensed in New Jersey, admitted
that between Jan. 20, 2005 and Nov. 7, 2006,
he stole $53,835 in insurance premium monies.
Pearson, who worked for Marine Agency Corporation,
a Maplewood-based business that sold insurance,
would receive checks from purchasers of
insurance policies. He was required to remit
the insurance premium money through the
Marine agency to the insurance companies,
including New Hampshire Insurance Company.
Pearson admitted that on 49 occasions, he
failed to turn over insurance premium monies
to his employer and instead used the money
for his own benefit.
State
Investigator Scott Caponi, and Deputy Attorney
General Nicole D. Rizzolo were assigned
to the investigation into this case. Rizzolo
represented the Office of Insurance Fraud
Prosecutor at the guilty plea hearing.
This
case was referred to OIFP by the Special
Investigative Unit of the New Hampshire
Insurance Company which initially uncovered
the fraud and assisted OIFP in the investigation.
Insurance Fraud Prosecutor Brown thanks
New Hampshire Insurance for their involvement
in this matter as well as the Department
of Banking and Insurance, which routinely
assists OIFP with investigations and prosecutions
of licensed insurance agents.
Pearson
is scheduled to appear before Judge Kennedy
on March 14, 2008 to be sentenced. Third-degree
crimes carry a sentence of up to five years
in state prison and a criminal fine of up
to $15,000.
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