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TRENTON
- Attorney General Zulima V. Farber and
Division of Criminal Justice Director Gregory
A. Paw announced that an Ocean County woman
has pleaded guilty for stealing more than
$700,000 in life insurance monies to which
she was not entitled.
According
to Insurance Fraud Prosecutor Greta Gooden
Brown, Mary Maschuci, 55, of Toms River,
pleaded guilty before Superior Court Judge
James N. Citta in Ocean County to charges
of insurance fraud and theft by deception,
both second-degree crimes. Under the plea
agreement, the state will recommend that
Maschuci be sentenced to five years in state
prison and be ordered to pay restitution.
Maschuci also may face civil insurance fraud
fines. The charges were brought by the Division
of Criminal Justice - Office of Insurance
Fraud Prosecutor.
“Insurance
fraud is a serious crime that imposes very
significant costs on all of us who pay insurance
premiums,” said Insurance Fraud Prosecutor
Brown. “We will continue to vigorously
investigate and prosecute this type of criminal
activity.”
At the guilty plea hearing yesterday, Maschuci
admitted that between June 9, 2003 and April
20, 2005, she submitted false life insurance
claims to nine insurance companies. The
claims were false in that Maschuci had applied
for life insurance benefits on her life,
and, posing as her adult daughter, Maschuci
then contacted the insurance companies indicating
that Mary Maschuci had died. Maschuci also
submitted false death certificates to the
companies. Maschuci attempted to collect
approximately $1,083,155 in claims money
and was successful in collecting $738,409.
The
false life insurance claims were sent to
Empire Indemnity Insurance Company, Individual
Assurance Company, Protective Life Insurance
Company, AIG Insurance Company, Hartford
Life & Accident Insurance Company, USAA
Life Insurance Company, Minnesota Life Insurance
Company, Allstate Insurance Company, and
Conseco Insurance Company.
State
Investigator Natalie Brotherston, Civil
Investigator David Hiestand, and Deputy
Attorney General James E. Jones Jr., were
assigned to the investigation. DAG Jones
represented the Office of Insurance Fraud
Prosecutor at the guilty plea hearing. A
copy of this release can be found on the
Insurance Fraud Prosecutor’s Web site
at www.NJInsuranceFraud.org
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