TRENTON
- Attorney General Anne Milgram and Division
of Criminal Justice Director Deborah L. Gramiccioni
announced that a Somerset County woman was
sentenced for falsely reporting that her car
had been stolen.
According
to Acting Insurance Fraud Prosecutor Riza
Dagli, Uchechi Isaac, 26, of North Plainfield,
was sentenced on Friday, Nov. 6, to three
years of probation and was ordered to pay
a $5,000 civil fine by Superior Court Judge
John H. Pursel in Somerset County. The sentence
was based on Isaac’s Aug. 10 guilty
plea to an accusation charging her with insurance
fraud.
In
pleading guilty, Isaac admitted that on Oct.
18, 2007, she falsely reported to Progressive
Insurance Company that her 2006 Toyota Corolla
had been stolen. Isaac admitted that she was
attempting to fraudulently obtain reimbursement
under her insurance policy. As a result of
Isaac’s fraud, Progressive Insurance
Company paid out $8,207 on the claim. Isaac
must pay restitution to the company.
Detective
Amy Carson, Civil Investigator Chet Williams
and Deputy Attorney General Paul D. Santangini
were assigned to the investigation. Deputy
Attorney General Santangini represented the
state at the sentencing. Acting Insurance
Fraud Prosecutor Dagli thanked the New York
Police Department Auto Crime Division and
Progressive Insurance Company for their assistance
with this investigation.
Acting
Fraud Prosecutor Dagli noted that some important
cases have started with anonymous tips. People
who are concerned about insurance cheating
and have information about a fraud can report
it anonymously by calling the toll-free hotline
1-877-55-FRAUD or visiting the Web
site www.njinsurancefraud.org.
State regulations permit an award to be paid
to an eligible person who provides information
that leads to an arrest, prosecution and conviction
for insurance fraud.
The
Office of Insurance Fraud Prosecutor was established
by the Automobile Insurance Cost Reduction
Act of 1998. The office is the centralized
state agency that investigates and prosecutes
civil and criminal insurance fraud, as well
as Medicaid fraud.
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