Fraud of the Week

 

June 15, 2015

 

Vehicle Give Up—New Jersey

AMOUNT: unknown

 

A New Jersey man was convicted of burning his vehicle and reporting it stolen to collect the insurance proceeds. He claimed four or five black men carjacked him in April 2008; the vehicle was found burned hours later, and authorities determined the fire was intentionally set. He was convicted of second-degree insurance fraud, second-degree aggravated arson, third-degree arson, and third-degree theft by deception and sentenced to concurrent seven-year terms. He appealed, claiming his Miranda rights had been violated and that he did not commit five separate acts of fraud; the appeals court rejected his arguments. He was paroled January 2014.