A Georgia claim adjuster was sentenced to four years in federal prison after she committed mail, wire, and check fraud against her employer.

Susan Denise Harper, 43, along with two of her co-conspirators, Kevian Bateman, 27, and Ojineka Jones Godwin, 51, were employed at the Savannah, Ga. branch of Underwriters Safety and Claims (US&C). Harper worked as a claim adjuster and supervisor of the property and casualty division. She manipulated US&C's computer system in two ways to cause checks to be issued to fraudulent payees. Her first method was to re-open an insurance claim, change the name of the claimant to a fraudulent payee, and in some instances, record false notes regarding the nature of the claim, causing a payment to be issued.

The second method involved Harper creating a fictitious claimant and corresponding documentation, causing a payment to be issued. The checks would be cut at US&C's headquarters and then mailed to the fraudulent payees in Georgia. Upon receipt of a check, the payee would "negotiate" it and Harper would get the proceeds.