Global Navigation
Office of The Attorney General
The State of New Jersey Office of The Attorney General (Dept. of Law & Public Safety) The State of New Jersey NJ Home Services A to Z Departments/Agencies OAG Frequently Asked Questions
Services A to Z Departments/Agencies OAG Frequently Asked Questions
OAG Home
OAG Contact
Back to News Releases
OAG Home Attorney General's Biography
Attorney General's Biography
spacer spacer spacer
 
spacer spacer spacer
spacer spacer spacer
For Immediate Release:
For Further Information:
spacer spacer spacer

July 22, 2011

Office of The Attorney General
- Paula T. Dow, Attorney General
Division of Criminal Justice
- Stephen J. Taylor, Director
Office of the Insurance Fraud Prosecutor

- Ronald Chillemi, Acting Insurance Fraud Prosecutor

Media Inquiries-
Rachel Goemaat
609-292-4791
Citizen Inquiries-
609-292-4925

spacer
spacer spacer spacer
spacer

Bergen County Man Sentenced to State Prison for Stealing More than $8,000 in Property & Services from Union County Golf Club

spacer
spacer spacer spacer
spacer

TRENTON Attorney General Paula T. Dow and Division of Criminal Justice Director Stephen J. Taylor announced that a Bergen County man was sentenced to state prison today for stealing more than $8,000 in property and services from a Union County golf club.

According to Acting Insurance Fraud Prosecutor Ronald Chillemi, John Getchius, 62, whose last known address was in Garfield, was sentenced by Superior Court Judge Scott J. Moynihan in Union County to three years in state prison and ordered to pay $8,984 in restitution. The sentence will run concurrent to the eight-year prison sentence Getchius is currently serving as a result of pleading guilty to other charges brought by the Office of the Insurance Fraud Prosecutor.

Today’s sentence was based on Getchius’ March 14 guilty plea to third-degree theft by deception. The charge was contained in a Union County grand jury indictment returned on May 7, 2010.

In pleading guilty to the charge for which he was sentenced today, Getchius admitted that between May 5 and Aug. 31, 2009, he fraudulently obtained property and services from Suburban Golf Club, located in Union. Getchius created the false impression that he would make payments in the amount of $8,984. In order to deceive the golf club of his intentions, Getchius wrote three bad checks to Suburban Golf Club, knowing that the banks would not honor the checks.

Getchius is currently serving an eight-year prison sentence after pleading guilty on June 11, 2009 to two counts of second degree insurance fraud and two counts of third degree insurance fraud. The charges were contained in a 2008 Bergen County grand jury indictment. According to the plea agreement, Getchius was also ordered to pay $25,600 in restitution and a $50,000 civil fine.

With respect to those charges, 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. Deputy Attorney General Kwasnik represented the state at the sentencing. Acting Insurance Fraud Prosecutor Chillemi thanked Suburban Golf Club for referring this matter to the Office of the Insurance Fraud Prosecutor and for its assistance in the investigation.

Acting Insurance Fraud Prosecutor Chillemi 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 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.

###

spacer
spacer spacer spacer
spacer
 
 
Contact OAG About OAG
OAG News OAG Frequently Asked Questions
OAG Library Employment
OAG Grants Proposed Rules
OAG History OAG Services A-Z
OAG Agencies / Programs / Units
Other News Pages Otras Noticias en Español Division of NJ State Police Division of Law News Governor's Office News Division of Highway Traffic Safety News Office of the Insurance Fraud Prosecutor Juvenile Justice Commission News Division on Civil Rights News Division of Consumer Affairs News Division of Criminal Justice News Election Law Enforcement Commission Division of Gaming Enforcement News
NJ State Police News Governor's Office News Division of Highway Traffic Safety News Office of the Insurance Fraud Prosecutor Juvenile Justice Commission News Division on Civil Rights News Division of Consumer Affairs News Division of Criminal Justice News Election Law Enforcement Commission Division of Elections News Division of Gaming Enforcement News Office of Government Integrity News

free PDF plugin

NJ State Police News Governor's Office News Division of Highway Traffic Safety News Office of the Insurance Fraud Prosecutor Juvenile Justice Commission News Division on Civil Rights News Division of Consumer Affairs News Division of Criminal Justice News Election Law Enforcement Commission Division of Elections News Division of Gaming Enforcement News Office of Government Integrity News
   
Contact Us | Privacy Notice | Legal Statement | Accessibility Statement
NJ Home Logo
Departmental: OAG Home | Contact OAG | About OAG | OAG News | OAG FAQs
Statewide: NJ Home | Services A to Z | Departments/Agencies | FAQs
Copyright © State of New Jersey
This page is maintained by OAG Communications. Comments/Questions: email or call 609-292-4925
OAG Home OAG Home NJ State Police News Governor's Office News Division of Highway Traffic Safety News Office of the Insurance Fraud Prosecutor Juvenile Justice Commission News Division on Civil Rights News Division of Consumer Affairs News Division of Criminal Justice News Election Law Enforcement Commission Division of Elections News Division of Gaming Enforcement News Office of Government Integrity News