TRENTON
- Attorney General Anne Milgram and Criminal
Justice Director Deborah L. Gramiccioni announced
that an Edison man has been indicted on charges
that he impersonated his father in order to
steal $9,000 from the cash value of an insurance
policy.
According
to Insurance Fraud Prosecutor Greta Gooden
Brown, Scott E. Feeney, 26, of Edison, was
charged with insurance fraud, theft by deception,
and impersonation, all in the third degree.
The Middlesex County grand jury indictment
alleges that between Sept. 13 and Oct. 10,
2007, Feeney misrepresented to Thrivent Financial
for Lutherans on three separate occasions
that he was Edward Feeney, his father, in
order to obtain approximately $9,000 from
the cash value of a life insurance policy
issued to his father. The indictment charges
that on each occasion, Scott Feeney contacted
Thrivent and falsely identified himself as
his father. It is alleged that, on two of
the occasions, Scott Feeney fraudulently arranged
for the transfer of funds from his father’s
account to a PNC Bank account to which he
had access.
Detectives
Natalie Brotherston and Janessa Jones, Civil
Investigator Douglas Murray and Deputy Attorney
General Geraldine D. Zidow were assigned to
the investigation. Zidow presented the case
to the Middlesex County grand jury.
This
case was referred to OIFP by the Special Investigative
Unit of Thrivent Financial for Lutherans which
initially uncovered the fraud and assisted
OIFP in the investigation. Insurance Fraud
Prosecutor Brown thanked Thrivent for its
assistance in this matter.
The
indictment, which was handed up Friday (April
3), is merely an accusation. The defendant
is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
Third-degree crimes carry a maximum sentence
of five years in state prison and a criminal
fine of $15,000. Feeney may also face civil
insurance fraud fines.
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