A public adjuster has been convicted of swindling eighthomeowners out of their insurance claims and fleeing his home stateof California.

According to the California Department of Insurance (CDI),Norman Hugh Baker posed as a licensed public adjuster and connedeight homeowners out of almost $100,000. The scheme involved Bakerconvincing homeowners that he would help them with claims from raindamage. He obtained several insurance claim-settlement checksissued to him and the homeowners. After receiving the checks,homeowners were instructed to endorse them to Baker, who claimed hewould use the funds to conduct property repairs.

But Baker never arranged for any repairs, and instead pocketed$95,038.65 in claim checks. He pled guilty in Nov. 2006, and paidback half the restitution he owed in January. The remaining$47,000+ was to be paid this past June, but Baker failed to showfor the court hearing. He was later found in Georgia and extraditedback to California.

As a result of these new charges, he faces a maximum of fiveyears in state prison for grand theft and for failure to appear incourt.