Four locals part of statewide insurance fraud sweep
The state attorney general’s office announced criminal charges filed against 29 individuals with insurance fraud felonies, including four locals.
Earlier this week, Attorney General Josh Shapiro released the names of the 29 people following investigations by the Office of Attorney General’s Insurance Fraud Section.
“Insurance fraud is a serious crime that impacts consumers and policyholders across our Commonwealth,” Shapiro said. “We will aggressively prosecute anyone who breaks the law by providing false information to an insurance company.”
Of the 29 people across the state, locals being charged include:
n Crystal Robb, 35, of Uniontown, who was involved in a vehicle accident on Jan. 3 in which a stroller/carrier stored in her vehicle was supposedly damaged. Robb allegedly submitted to her insurance company that the stroller was estimated at $8,700, but Robb never paid for the stroller as it was a gift, and the stroller itself was worth approximately $2,000.
Robb was also charged with attempted theft by deception and forgery.
n Blane Johnson, 39, of Brownsville, allegedly filed a claim online that a tree limb fell on his vehicle on Nov. 13. However, after an investigation, Johnson admitted that he discovered that the tree limb fell on his vehicle on Oct. 21 and had his wife add additional coverage to their policy. He then waited until Nov. 13 to file the claim.
The approximate amount of the claim was $3,473.04 after a $500 deductible, but the claim was denied.
Johnson was also charged with attempted theft by deception.
n Jason Rubin, 35, of Canonsburg, allegedly claimed there was $9,471 worth of electronics damaged in his apartment after a power surge had occurred on Aug. 21. Rubin stated that he discarded all the damaged items prior to the insurance company’s inspection of the claim, but provided receipts for the equipment and an invoice for an electrician who inspected the residence.
An investigation found that all of the receipts and invoices were fraudulent with no indication from management in Rubin’s building that a power surge actually occurred.
Rubin was also charged with theft by deception.
n Jordan Basel, 31, of Belle Vernon, who was involved in a vehicle accident on Jan. 29 and later on the same day, his mother started a new auto policy with Safe Auto Insurance. Basel allegedly claimed the accident occurred on Jan. 29 after the new policy was issued. The amount of the alleged theft is $5,000.
Authorities stated that Basel is still at large.
The charges were part of a sweep conducted in July and June by the Insurance Fraud Section. The total fraud involved in these unrelated cases is over $160,000.
“When people commit insurance fraud, it causes premiums to rise for law-abiding policyholders,” Shapiro said. “It’s wrong, and we’re taking action to stop it.”
All the defendants arrested in the most recent sweep are charged with insurance fraud, a third-degree felony. The cases are all pending.