Fraud of the Week – When the Police Falsify Claims
Personal Auto Fraud – Maryland
Amount - $56,255
A former Maryland police officer was sentenced to six months in federal prison, followed by two years of supervised release with the first six months served on home detention for the falsification of records in connection with an insurance fraud. The man was also ordered to pay $17,585 to the victim of one of the fraud schemes. The man conspired with other officers to engage in wire and mail fraud. They reported fictitious losses to insurers to avoid paying off vehicles that were worth less than the remaining amount of the loan. They wrote false police reports for each other to assist with the claims. Two of the men staged the theft of one's Chevy Tahoe; they filed a false police report, then stripped the vehicle and drove it into a wooded area. The owner then made a claim with his insurance company for the loss of $38,670.
Later, he collaborated with another officer to fake the theft of that person's Jaguar. The owner paid someone to tow the vehicle and vandalize it, to create a total loss. They then submitted a false police report to substantiate the claim. The owner was paid $17,585 for the fraudulent claim.
Another fraud involved faking a stolen vehicle claim on an Infiniti for another person. This claim was denied due to fraud - the vehicle had been parked in a garage with the license plates changed. One of the co-conspirators was sentenced to three years of probation with the first five months on home detention, and restitution to the insurer of $38,760.