NICB Crime Fight Awards To Spitzer, Kornblau

NICB Crime Fight Awards To Spitzer, Kornblau

NU Online News Service, Dec. 19, 11:34 a.m. EST?The National Insurance Crime Bureau said it is giving a fraud fighting award to New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer and Barbara Kornblau, deputy bureau chief of the Nassau County District Attorney's Office.[@@]

NICB said the two will be honored as the 2003 Man and Woman of the Year for the New York City Metropolitan Region at an award ceremony due to take place at 1:30 p.m. today at John Anthony's on the Water, 494 Fire Island Avenue, in Babylon, NY.

"These awards acknowledge the Attorney General and Deputy Bureau Chief Kornblau as leaders in the fight against fraud," said Gene Glenn, NICB chief operating officer.

NICB said Mr. Spitzer is a "tireless advocate for the citizens of the state of New York." The group noted that in the past year, Mr. Spitzer has established a separate unit within the attorney general's office charged with the exclusive mission of combating insurance fraud.

In addition, the attorney general's office has assigned a full-time investigator to NICB's New York Medical Fraud Task Force which identifies and investigates individuals and organized crime rings participating in fraud against the state's personal injury protection fraud.

Recently, the Medical Fraud Task Force uncovered evidence that led to the indictment of more than 550 members (individuals and entities) of an organized insurance fraud scam allegedly responsible for at least 1,000 staged accidents in New York City.

Ms. Kornblau is the current deputy bureau chief of the Criminal Frauds Bureau of the Nassau County District Attorney's Office.

NICB said in the past two years, Ms. Kornblau has been involved in the prosecution of more than 35 insurance fraud cases. Her recent indictments include the ringleader of a major staged accident ring which should lead to prosecutions of numerous co-conspirators, according to NICB

The NICB Man and Woman of the Year awards are presented annually to individuals who make significant contributions to the fight against insurance fraud in the New York City Metropolitan Area.

Mr. Glenn said fraud costs each American household an average of $200 to $300 a year in additional insurance premiums--money "which could be used toward household expenses, savings or an educational fund."

The National Insurance Crime Bureau is a national not-for-profit organization dedicated exclusively to fighting insurance fraud and theft for the benefit of its customers and the public through information analysis, forecasting, criminal investigation support, training and public awareness. The NICB is supported by approximately 1,000 property/casualty insurance companies. For further information on the fight against fraud, visit www.nicb.org.