TRENTON
- Attorney General Anne Milgram and Division
of Criminal Justice Director Deborah L. Gramiccioni
announced that a Cumberland County woman was
sentenced to five years probation, fined $5,000
and ordered to pay $8,531 in restitution for
filing a false auto theft insurance claim.
According to Gramiccioni, Cheryl Wynder, 56,
of Bridgeton, pled guilty June 19 before Judge
Robert P. Becker in Superior Court, Cumberland
County, to an Accusation which charged her
with third degree Insurance Fraud.
At the guilty plea hearing, Wynder admitted
that on August 4, 2008, she submitted a fraudulent
stolen vehicle claim with the Travelers Insurance
Company, claiming that her 2002 Ford Explorer
had been stolen when, in fact, she knew it
had not been stolen.
An investigation by the Office of the Insurance
Fraud Prosecutor revealed that Wynder offered
her nephew money to take the vehicle and destroy
it because she was several months behind in
her payments and did not want the vehicle
to be repossessed. Charges against Wynder’s
nephew are pending.
Detective Terrence Buie, Civil Investigator
Robert Overton and Deputy Attorney General
Paul D. Santangini were assigned to the investigation
into this case. DAG Santangini represented
the State at the guilty plea hearing.
Gramiccioni thanked the Travelers Insurance
Company for their assistance in this investigation.
"Automobile
theft in New Jersey continues to be a target
of law enforcement investigation and phony
automobile insurance theft claims resulting
from automobile ‘give up’ schemes
remain a priority for the Office of Insurance
Fraud Prosecutor," said Gramiccioni.
Information about insurance fraud can be reported
anonymously by calling the toll-free hotline
at 1-877-55-FRAUD, or visiting
the Web site at www.NJInsurancefraud.org.
State regulations permit a reward to be paid
to an eligible person who provides information
that leads to an arrest, prosecution and conviction
for insurance fraud.
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