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TRENTON
- Attorney General Anne Milgram announced
that a Hudson County corrections officer
pleaded guilty today to committing insurance
fraud.
According
to Insurance Fraud Prosecutor Greta Gooden
Brown, Willard Jones, 28, of Jersey City,
pleaded guilty before Superior Court Judge
Sheila A. Venable in Hudson County to a
criminal accusation which charged him with
third-degree insurance fraud.
At the guilty plea hearing, Jones, a Hudson
County corrections officer, admitted that
between Feb. 21 and March 17, 2008, he made
false statements to Esurance, his insurance
company. Jones was involved in an automobile
accident with his 2007 Honda Accord shortly
after leaving work at 5:55am on Feb. 21.
The accident caused approximately $6,800
in damages to the vehicle. Jones admitted
that he falsely claimed that he had purchased
automobile insurance for his Accord from
Esurance prior to the accident. However,
Esurance’s computer-generated policy
records indicate that Jones’ automobile
insurance policy was purchased at 6:49 that
morning, which was after the accident had
already occurred.
Detective
Richard Lane, Civil Investigator Arthur
Williams, and Deputy Attorney General Nicole
D. Rizzolo were assigned to the investigation.
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 Esurance which initially
uncovered the fraud and assisted OIFP in
the investigation. Insurance Fraud Prosecutor
Brown thanked Esurance for its assistance
in this matter.
Jones
is scheduled to appear before Judge Venable
on Dec. 5 to be sentenced. Jones has agreed
to forfeit his public employment at the
time of sentencing. He has also agreed to
pay a $3,500 civil insurance fraud fine.
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