TRENTON
- Attorney General Anne Milgram and Criminal
Justice Director Deborah L. Gramiccioni announced
that a Bergen County man pleaded guilty today
to filing more than $60,000 in fraudulent
marine insurance claims.
According
to Insurance Fraud Prosecutor Greta Gooden
Brown, John Getchius, 60, pleaded guilty before
Superior Court Judge Harry G. Carroll in Bergen
County to two counts of second-degree insurance
fraud and two counts of third-degree insurance
fraud. The charges were contained in an Aug.
7, 2008 Bergen County grand jury indictment.
Judge
Carroll scheduled sentencing for Sept. 11.
Under the plea agreement, the state will recommend
a sentence of seven years in state prison
and a civil fine of $50,000. Getchius may
also face civil insurance fraud fines.
At
the guilty plea hearing, Getchius admitted
that between Feb. 25, 2004, and Dec. 27, 2007,
he used a variety of aliases and assumed identities
to commit insurance fraud involving marine
insurance policies. Getchius 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. As a result of the
fraud, Getchius received $25,600. 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.
Detective Earl Washington and Deputy Attorney
General Dennis Kwasnik were assigned to the
investigation. Kwasnik represented the Office
of Insurance Fraud Prosecutor at the guilty
plea hearing. 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. She also thanked Chubb Insurance
Company for referring this matter.
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