TRENTON
- Attorney General Stuart Rabner and Division
of Criminal Justice Director Gregory A.
Paw announced that a Union County man pleaded
guilty today for stealing more than $10,500
in disability insurance claims money.
According
to Insurance Fraud Prosecutor Greta Gooden
Brown, John C. Ponticello, 54, of Roselle
Park, pleaded guilty before Superior Court
Judge Scott J. Moynihan in Union County
to a criminal accusation that charged him
with third-degree theft by deception.
At
the guilty plea hearing, Ponticello admitted
that between August 2003 and November 2005,
he submitted false disability claims to
the JMIC Life Insurance Company. Specifically,
Ponticello admitted that he falsely advised
JMIC Life that he was disabled so that JMIC
Life would pay $425.95 per month to the
Ford Motor Company in repayment of his car
loan. Ponticello admitted that in support
of his claims, he submitted a total of 17
false monthly disability verification forms
bearing fraudulent doctors’ signatures.
JMIC Life paid $10,563 to the Ford Motor
Company on behalf of Ponticello as a result
of the fraudulent claims.
State
Investigator Laura Parisi and Deputy Attorney
General Stephen J. Cirillo handled the case.
Ponticello
is scheduled to appear before Judge Moynihan
on Jan. 16 to be sentenced. Crimes of the
third degree carry a sentence of up to five
years in state prison and a criminal fine
of up to $15,000.
Prosecutor Brown 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 at 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.
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