Andy Jungsik Kim, owner of a California cell phone retailer, hasbeen sentenced to three years and four months in state prison forhis involvement in more than 2,000 fraudulent insurance claims. He pleaded guilty.

The California Insurance Department (CDI) says Kim, 37, of StudioCity, Calif., will serve the sentence for grand theft, multiplecounts of identity theft and for possession of a forged driver'slicense. The court has also ordered Kim to payrestitution.

According to authorities in October 2009, Asurion InsuranceServices, a nationwide insurance company specializing in insuringcell phones, reported suspected cell phone insurance fraud activityinvolving Kim's store Skyland Cellular. The retailer has two cellphone stores in Los Angeles, Calif.

Investigators say over a period of time, starting in March 2008,Kim submitted multiple false and fraudulent claims to Asurion inorder to obtain replacement cell phones for resale at asubstantially lower cost. Kim used information from the cell phoneaccounts of customers of his two cell phone stores.

Kim provided Asurion with addresses for the shipping of thereplacement cell phones that were private mailboxes he had rentedusing a fake California driver's license. The investigation uncovered losses to Asurion to be more than$1 million.

A co-defendant, Chong Han Kim, who worked in one of the SkylandCellular stores, and co-defendants Yong Koo Kim, Chong Sok Son andJun Choi allegedly conspired with Kim. Authorities have arrestedfour of the defendants. Meanwhile, Jun Choi remains at largeand is considered to be a fugitive.

Sources: Insurance and Financial Advisor, California Department ofInsurance