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TRENTON
- Attorney General Anne Milgram and Criminal
Justice Director Gregory A. Paw announced
that an Essex County woman has been indicted
for allegedly making a false claim that
she was a passenger in a car involved in
an accident.
According
to Insurance Fraud Prosecutor Greta Gooden
Brown, Genine M. Jones, 32, of Irvington,
was charged with second-degree conspiracy,
second-degree insurance fraud, third-degree
attempted theft by deception, and third-degree
tampering with public records.
The
Essex County grand jury indictment alleges
that between March 13 and May 13, 2005,
Jones agreed with another person, Tina Davis
of Hillside, to commit the crimes of insurance
fraud and theft by deception. The indictment
alleges that after Jones observed a minor
car accident involving Davis, she fraudulently
told the officer investigating the incident
that she was a passenger in Davis’
car at the time. The indictment further
charges that Jones lied to Selective Insurance
Company by falsely stating she did not reside
in a household in which a person owned an
automobile, so that she could claim personal
injury protection benefits under Davis’
auto insurance policy. PIP benefits typically
pay for lost wages, medical bills, and essential
services for persons who are injured in
automobile accidents and, in some cases,
permit the injured to sue for non-economic
damages including pain and suffering.
Jones’
insurance claim was denied by Selective
Insurance Company and the matter was referred
to the Office of Insurance Fraud Prosecutor
for investigation and prosecution. Fraud
Prosecutor Brown thanked Selective for its
assistance in this matter.
As
part of the Office of Insurance Fraud Prosecutor’s
investigation, Tina Davis was charged on
April 18, 2007 with third-degree insurance
fraud. She subsequently was admitted into
the Essex County Pre-trial Intervention
program and was ordered to pay a $5,000
civil insurance fraud fine.
Detective Wendy Wylie, Civil Investigator
Robert Overton, and Deputy Attorney General
Carol Meier were assigned to the investigation.
Meier represented the Office of Insurance
Fraud Prosecutor before the Essex County
grand jury.
“In
order to make a false auto accident claim,
a person must be willing to lie again and
again – to police officers, insurance
carriers, doctors and attorneys,”
said Prosecutor Brown. “That lengthy
pattern of deception makes these crimes
particularly troubling. This indictment
should send a strong message that we will
vigorously prosecute those who engage in
this type of crime.”
The indictment, which was voted on April
18 but handed up on April 25, is merely
an accusation and the defendant is presumed
innocent until proven guilty. Second-degree
crimes carry a maximum sentence of 10 years
in state prison and a criminal fine of $150,000,
while third-degree crimes carry a maximum
sentence of five years in prison and a fine
of $15,000. Jones may also face civil insurance
fraud fines.
Prosecutor
Brown noted that some important cases have
started with anonymous tips. People who
are concerned about insurance cheating and
have information about a fraud can report
it anonymously by calling the toll-free
hotline 1-877-55-FRAUD or visiting the Web
site 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 Insurance Fraud Prosecutor was
established by the Automobile Insurance
Cost Reduction Act of 1998. The office is
the centralized state agency that investigates
and prosecutes both civil and criminal insurance
fraud, as well as Medicaid fraud.
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