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TRENTON
- Attorney General Anne Milgram and Criminal
Justice Director Deborah L. Gramiccioni
announced that a Garfield man has been indicted
on charges he filed more than $60,000 worth
of fraudulent marine insurance claims.
According
to Insurance Fraud Prosecutor Greta Gooden
Brown, John Getchius, 59 – aka Robert
Allen, John Gechies, John Gechius, John
Cetchies, John Goetsche, and Tracy Greenberg
– was charged with three counts of
second-degree insurance fraud and five counts
of third-degree insurance fraud. The Bergen
County grand jury indictment was voted on
July 31 and handed up in Superior Court
yesterday.
The indictment alleges that between Feb.
25, 2004, and Dec. 27, 2007, Getchius used
a variety of aliases and assumed identities
to commit insurance fraud involving marine
insurance policies. Getchius, a lawyer who
was disbarred in 1988 for unrelated reasons,
allegedly submitted $64,000 worth of fictitious
insurance claims alleging that five dinghies,
five outboard motors, a life raft and a
marine tender were lost at sea on various
dates. The fraudulent claims were submitted
to several insurance companies, including
the New Hampshire Insurance Company, the
Northern Assurance Company of America, the
Quadrant Indemnity Company, the Vigilant
(Chubb) Insurance Company, and the Zurich/Northern
Insurance Company of New York. Getchius
allegedly was paid $25,500 as a result of
the false claims.
Detective
Earl Washington and Deputy Attorney General
Dennis Kwasnik were assigned to the investigation.
Kwasnik presented the case to the Bergen
County grand jury. Insurance Fraud Prosecutor
Brown thanked the New Hampshire Insurance
Company, the Northern Assurance Company
of America, the Quadrant Indemnity Company,
the Vigilant (Chubb) Insurance Company,
and the Zurich/Northern Insurance Company
of New York for their assistance in this
matter, and Chubb Insurance Company for
referring this matter.
The
indictment 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. Getchius
may also face civil insurance fraud fines.
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