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TRENTON
- Attorney General Anne Milgram and Criminal
Justice Director Deborah L. Gramiccioni announced
that a former Cumberland County resident has
pleaded guilty for conspiring to stage a phony
car theft in order to collect insurance claims
money.
According
to Insurance Fraud Prosecutor Greta Gooden
Brown, Craig T. Likanchuk, 43, formerly of
Vineland, pleaded guilty yesterday (March
31) before Superior Court Judge Robert P.
Becker in Cumberland County to third-degree
conspiracy to commit insurance fraud. The
charge was contained in a July 16, 2008 Cumberland
County grand jury indictment.
Judge Becker scheduled sentencing for May
15.
At
the guilty plea hearing, Likanchuk admitted
that on Oct. 3, 2005, he agreed to drive away
a 2005 Toyota Scion so that a co-defendant,
Dennis Caraballo, could allegedly report the
vehicle stolen, file a claim with State Farm
Insurance Company and collect $18,810 in insurance
monies. Suspecting fraud, State Farm denied
the claim and referred the matter to the Office
of Insurance Fraud Prosecutor.
Charges against Caraballo, 28, of Vineland
are still pending.
Detective
George Meyers, Jr., Civil Investigator Frank
Crosson and Deputy Attorneys General Scott
Patterson and Paul D. Santangini were assigned
to the investigation. Santangini represented
the state at the guilty plea hearing. Prosecutor
Brown thanked State Farm and the Vineland
Police Department for their assistance in
this matter.
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