After copping to one count of insurance claim fraud, a Prince George's County, MD police officer realizes that his charmed existence is over.
David Wayne Johnson, 43, opted for the wrong side of the law on September 3, 2006. While off duty that day, Johnson reported his 2006 Toyota Tacoma truck stolen from Silver Park Drive in Oxon Hill, MD. He later filed a claim with Erie Insurance Group to be reimbursed for the vehicle. In November 2006, Erie issued a payment in the amount of $25,019 for Johnson's claim.
What really happened wouldn't become apparent until several years later — on January 24, 2009 — when authorities recovered the truck in Cleveland, OH. The driver of the truck, Joe Houston, told police that Johnson had paid him handsomely ($1,000 to be exact) to dispose of the ride. Houston decided to pad his earnings, keeping the Tacoma for his own use instead.
Johnson later confirmed Houston's story and admitted to falsely reporting the vehicle stolen and then cashing in. Following a guilty plea, Montgomery County Circuit Court Judge Michael J. Algeo imposed a five-year suspended sentence and five years probation on Johnson, who must also pay $15,000 in restitution and perform 100 hours of community service.
The conviction follows a joint investigation by the Insurance Fraud Division of the Maryland Insurance Administration, the Maryland State Police, and the Office of the Attorney General Douglas F. Gansler.
See also: Cuffing the Cop
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