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"Pig Farm" Owner Pleads Guilty and Sentenced in Fraud Case
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 On November 14, 2023, Larry Lint was sentenced in Butler County after entering a negotiated plea to three counts of Insurance Fraud (F3). The case was investigated by a Statewide Grand Jury, which issued a written presentment of its findings. Lint submitted three separate fraudulent claims to Nationwide Insurance in 2016 for losses in excess of $300,000.00 which at his agribusiness, known as the “Pig Farm”. Lint kept Eurasian boars and white-tailed deer on his Pig Farm property. In early 2016, Lint reported to Nationwide that he discovered a cut in the fence surrounding the property, which enabled approximately 150 boars and several white-tailed deer to escape on January 1, 2016. Lint told the insurer that he had purchased 70 boars at $485.00 a head. Nationwide paid Lint a total of $49,187.50 for the loss. On May 2, 2016, Lint filed a second claim with Nationwide in which he reported that 44 boars had escaped through a hole in the fence. Lint received $21,340.00 for that claim. Lint filed a third claim on August 3, in which he maintained that 68 boars escaped from his property after a tree fell onto the protective fence. Nationwide investigated this claim and required Lint to undergo three different Examinations Under Oath in 2017. Lint became uncooperative during the third Examination and Nationwide ultimately denied his claim. An investigation revealed that Lint was experiencing financial difficulties prior to his first claim in 2016, and that he had spoken with friends about cutting the fence and filing an insurance claim. Lint was sentenced to serve 60 months of probation, the first 12 months of which he is to serve on electronic home monitoring (house arrest). Lint was ordered to pay the costs of prosecution and to pay $70,527.50 in restitution to Nationwide. |
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 On November 29, 2023, Charles Cook was arrested in Montgomery County. According to the criminal complaint, on January 9, 2022, Omni Insurance Company canceled the policy that covered Cook’s 2017 Dodge Challenger due to non-payment. On February 6, Cook allegedly filed a claim with Omni and reported that his Challenger had been involved in an accident earlier in the day. Omni denied the claim because Cook’s policy was no longer in effect. The complaint stated that subsequently, on February 6, Cook applied for and obtained coverage for his Challenger through Progressive Insurance. On February 23, 2022, Cook allegedly reported to Progressive that his vehicle had been involved in a single-car accident in Philadelphia earlier that day. The complaint stated that Cook told Progressive that police did not respond, ![]() but because his car was inoperable, a tow company removed it from the scene. During a conversation recorded by Progressive, Cook allegedly stated that the Challenger had not been involved in any accidents prior to February 23. However, according to the complaint, investigators discovered that Cook’s Challenger incurred severe front-end damage on February 6, when the car was involved in a crash and towed from the scene. The complaint further stated that investigators learned that Cook’s car was stored at two different repair facilities between February 6 and February 15, 2022, but was not repaired. Investigators allegedly obtained photos of the damaged Challenger, as well as screenshots of text messages exchanged between the involved tow companies. According to the complaint, the screenshot metadata indicated that the car had been towed from the accident scene on February 6, and remained at repair facilities until approximately November 2023. The photo metadata allegedly revealed the pictures of the damaged Challenger had been taken on February 15 from the tow yard, several days prior to the purported accident date. Progressive denied the claim. Cook was charged with one count of Insurance Fraud (F3), one count of Criminal Attempt / Theft by Deception (F3), one count of Criminal Use of Communication Facility (F3), and one count of False Reports to Law Enforcement Authorities (M3).
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 On November 28, 2023, Bridgett Rega was arrested in Centre County. According to the criminal complaint, on June 8, 2023, at 12:18 PM, Rega used the USAA Insurance mobile app to file a property damage claim against her USAA renter’s policy. The complaint stated that Rega reported that her Google Pixel 7 Pro cell phone was damaged when Rega was pushed into a swimming pool. USAA paid that claim. Rega allegedly filed a second claim with USAA on July 6, in which she reported that her child threw the replacement phone that Rega had purchased out of Rega’s car window while the vehicle was in motion. The complaint stated that insurance investigators discovered, through token identification and fingerprint biometric registration, that the same phone was used to file both of the claims. During a recorded conversation with USAA, Rega allegedly insisted that two different Google Pixel Pros had been damaged and that she still had both of the phones. According to the complaint, investigators asked Rega to provide both of the phones to USAA, which she failed to do. USAA denied the second claim. Rega was charged with two counts of Insurance Fraud (F3), one count of Theft by Deception (M1), and one count of Criminal Attempt / Theft by Deception (M1). |
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 On November 21, 2023, Ryan Duffy was arrested in Chester County. According to the criminal complaint, on February 13, 2023, Duffy reported to Erie Insurance and to Downingtown Police that the right rear-fender flair from his 2016 Jeep Wrangler had been stolen on or about February 8, 2023. Duffy allegedly told Erie that he noticed that the Jeep was parked in his driveway when he noticed that the flair was missing. According to the complaint, Duffy advised the insurer that his landlord told Duffy that the flair had been missing for several days. An Erie adjuster inspected the Jeep and allegedly noticed additional damage to the Jeep’s passenger side and concluded that the loss resulted from a collision. During a recorded interview, Duffy allegedly told an Erie investigator that he was unaware of the additional damage to his Jeep until the adjuster informed him of it. According to the complaint, several months after Duffy filed the claim, GEICO Insurance contacted Erie and advised that a GEICO-insured 2017 Dodge Challenger had been damaged in a hit-and-run accident at approximately 7:00 PM on February 7, 2023, while the Dodge was parked in front of the owner’s house. The complaint stated that the Downingtown Police incident report indicated that the Challenger’s owner indicated that the striking vehicle was a 2016 Jeep Wrangler, and that a black “bumper / fender” piece was found at the scene. A supplemental report allegedly stated that the Wrangler was eventually located and was registered to Duffy. According to the complaint, the police also obtained surveillance video of the hit-and-run accident from a nearby business. On May 2, 2023, investigators took an in-person recorded statement from Duffy. During the interview, Duffy allegedly admitted that he had been driving his Jeep on February 7, 2023, when it struck the parked vehicle. Duffy was charged with one count of Insurance Fraud (F3), one count of Criminal Attempt / Theft by Deception (M1), one count of Criminal Use of a Communication Facility (F3).
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 On November 21, 2023, Matthew Shaffer was arrested in Jefferson County. According to the criminal complaint, on June 15, 2023, Shaffer went to Sarvey Insurance, a local insurance agency, and applied for coverage from Progressive Insurance for his 2011 Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck. A Sarvey Insurance agent allegedly met with Shaffer, took his application information and photographed Shaffer’s truck. According to the complaint, Shaffer told the agent that he had been driving his truck approximately two weeks earlier when it struck a deer, damaging the truck’s front bumper and passenger side headlight. A Progressive policy was issued for the Silverado on June 15. According to the complaint, Shaffer’s previous coverage had been canceled for non-payment. On June 22, 2023, Shaffer allegedly filed a claim with Progressive and reported that his truck had been damaged by a deer strike on June 21, 2023. Shaffer also allegedly provided Progressive with photos of the damaged truck. According to the complaint, a Sarvey agent spotted Shaffer’s claim on the agency’s computer system and advised Progressive of her interaction with Shaffer on June 15. Progressive investigators allegedly compared the photos taken by the agent with the photos submitted by Shaffer and concluded that the damage was identical in both sets of pictures. According to the complaint, investigators interviewed Shaffer, who insisted that his truck was damaged by two separate deer strikes, the first of which had occurred around Memorial Day, 2023. The complaint stated that when an investigator confronted Shaffer about the two sets of photos, Shaffer denied that he had provided any photographs to Progressive. Later, Shaffer allegedly acknowledged that he had used his cell phone to submit the photos to the insurer. Progressive denied the claim. Shaffer was charged with one count of Insurance Fraud (F3) and one count of Criminal Attempt / Theft by Deception (F3).
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 On November 21, 2023, Allison Beckner was arrested in Allegheny County. According to the criminal complaint, Beckner obtained Progressive Insurance for her 2016 Mercedes-Benz E350 on April 16, 2023. On April 21, 2023, Beckner allegedly filed a mobile-internet collision claim for damage to the Mercedes’ passenger side mirror, which purportedly occurred on April 18. The complaint stated that Beckner provided Progressive with photographs of the damaged mirror. Investigators allegedly discovered that a local body shop wrote an estimate for the damage to Beckner’s car mirror at 1:23 PM on April 3, 2023. The estimate, according to the complaint, included photos of the damaged mirror. Progressive allegedly determined that the mirror on Beckner’s Mercedes was damaged prior to the inception of her policy and denied her claim. Beckner was charged with one count of Insurance Fraud (F3) and one count Criminal Attempt / Theft by Deception (F3). |
 On November 17, 2023, Anthony Knox was arrested in Philadelphia County. According to the criminal complaint, Progressive Insurance canceled its coverage of Knox’s 2015 Chevrolet Impala for non-payment on February 12, 2022. On March 22, 2022, at 5:22 PM, Knox allegedly phoned Progressive and asked to have his policy retroactively reinstated. The complaint stated that Knox advised the insurer that his car had not been involved in any accidents and had not been damaged during the lapse in coverage. On March 23, 2022, Knox allegedly called Progressive and reported that he had been driving the Impala in Philadelphia at 6:53 PM, on March 22, when the Impala was struck by another vehicle. The complaint stated that Knox submitted to Progressive two photos that had been taken at the accident scene. Investigators reviewed the photo metadata, which allegedly revealed that the pictures were taken at 5:04 PM and 5:06 PM on March 22. According to the complaint, Philadelphia Police Department dispatch records indicated that the first 911 call pertaining to Knox’s accident came in at 5:00 PM, and a second call was received at 5:09 PM. Further, Philadelphia Fire Department records allegedly showed that crews had been dispatched to the accident at 5:06 PM and departed the scene at 5:17 PM, which was approximately 20 minutes before Knox called Progressive to reinstate his policy. Progressive denied the claim. Knox was charged with one count of Insurance Fraud (F3), one count of Criminal Attempt / Theft by Deception (F3), one count of Criminal Use of a Communication Facility (F3), and one count of Insurance Fraud (M1).
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 On November 14, 2023, Douglas Newman, Jr. and Kara Galassi were arrested in Westmoreland County. According to the criminal complaint, on April 24, 2023, at 8:52 PM, Newman reinstated  his canceled Progressive Insurance automobile policy and provided the insurer with a statement of no loss. On April 25, 2023, at 2:18 PM, Newman allegedly reported to Progressive that his 2019 Chevrolet Blazer had been involved in an accident. According to the complaint, Newman stated that Galassi was driving when the Blazer struck a deer at approximately 7:40 AM that morning. The complaint stated that Newman provided photographs of the damage to Progressive. The complaint further stated that Galassi initially told Progressive that the accident occurred before Newman’s policy was reinstated. Newman allegedly claimed that Galassi had been confused and insisted that the deer strike occurred on April 25. During a follow up statement to Progressive, Galassi allegedly corroborated Newman’s version of the events. However, according to the complaint, Galassi’s parents told the insurer that their daughter left their residence at 7:15 PM on April 24, and was involved in the accident approximately 15 minutes later. Eventually, Newman and Galassi allegedly admitted that they misrepresented the time of the deer strike in an effort to get Progressive to cover the cost of repairs. Progressive denied the claim. According to the complaint, on May 1, 2023, Newman purchased a State Farm Insurance automobile policy for his 2019 Chevrolet Blazer. On May 2, 2023, Newman allegedly reported to the insurer that the Blazer was damaged earlier in the day when it struck a deer. The complaint further stated that Newman provided photographs of the damage to State Farm. During an investigation, State Farm allegedly discovered Newman’s previous Progressive claim and obtained the photographs that Newman had submitted in support of the claim. According to the complaint, investigators compared both sets of claim photos and determined that the Blazer had been damaged prior to the inception of the State Farm policy. Later, Newman allegedly admitted that he had misrepresented the facts of loss to State Farm claim in an effort to have the insurer cover the cost of repairs. The claim was denied. Newman was charged with two counts of Insurance Fraud (F3), two counts of Criminal Attempt / Theft by Deception (F3), and one count of Insurance Fraud (F3). Galassi was charged with one count of Insurance Fraud (F3), one count of Criminal Attempt / Theft by Deception (F3), and one count of Insurance Fraud (F3). |
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 On November 9, 2023, Vivek Chitturi was arrested in Westmoreland County. According to the criminal complaint, on December 20, 2022, Chitturi reported to Progressive Insurance that he had been driving his 2012 Volkswagen Passat at approximately 5:20 PM on December 18, when it was involved in an accident with another vehicle. Chitturi allegedly reported that a truck struck his vehicle and caused extensive damage to the driver’s side of the Passat. The complaint stated that during a call recorded by Progressive on December 26, 2022, Chitturi reiterated that the crash took place on December 18, at 5:20 PM. He allegedly stated that police did not respond, but that his vehicle had to be towed from the scene. The complaint stated that Chitturi submitted photos of the vehicle damage to Progressive. According to the complaint, investigators obtained a copy of the tow company invoice and discovered that the crash actually occurred on November 18, 2022. A Pennsylvania State Police incident report allegedly confirmed that the crash took place on November 18, at approximately 5:00 PM. The police report also indicated that someone other than Chitturi had been driving the Passat at the time of the accident. Investigators spoke to the driver of the truck, who allegedly advised that Chitturi had contacted him after the accident and asked the truck driver to change the date and certain details of the accident. Progressive denied the claim. Chitturi was charged with one count of Insurance Fraud (F3), one count of Criminal Attempt / Theft by Deception (F3), and Insurance Fraud (F3). |
 On November 7, 2023, Marquis Smith was arrested in Allegheny County. According to the criminal complaint, on March 3, 2023, Smith obtained a Stillwater Insurance renter’s policy. On March 6, 2023, Smith filed a claim with Stillwater, in which he allegedly stated that a water leak in his apartment complex had damaged some of his personal property. According to the complaint, Smith provided the insurer with a list of the damaged items, which included a mattress and box spring, clothing, shoes, television, and a gaming unit. The complaint stated that investigators obtained documents from the company that managed Smith’s apartment complex and from the plumbing company that handled the water leak. According to the complaint, those documents revealed that the damage to Smith’s property actually occurred at 11:13 AM on March 2, 2023, before Smith’s coverage was in place. Smith allegedly admitted to investigators that water had been leaking for a while before he obtained renter’s coverage and filed the claim. Stillwater denied the claim. Smith was charged with one count of Insurance Fraud (F3) and one count of Criminal Attempt / Theft by Deception (F3). |
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 On November 2, 2023, Leonard Thaon and Mariama Embalo-Sierra were arrested in Berks County. According to the criminal complaint, the Progressive Insurance policy covering  Embalo-Sierra’s 2022 Chevrolet Silverado listed Thaon as an excluded driver. The complaint stated that on October 5, 2022, the owner of a 2010 Kia South filed a claim with Progressive and reported that her vehicle had been rear-ended by Embalo-Sierra’s Silverado on October 4, 2022, at approximately 5:20 PM. The owner of the Kia allegedly told the insurer that the driver of the Silverado had identified himself as Embalo-Sierra’s husband. According to the complaint, another witness corroborated the Kia owner’s statement about the driver of the Silverado. Progressive spoke to Thaon, who allegedly claimed that he was a passenger in the Silverado at the time of the crash and that his fiancé, Embalo-Sierra, was the driver. The complaint further stated that a Progressive representative spoke to Embalo-Sierra, who maintained that she had been driving the Silverado at the time of the accident and that her two daughters were passengers. Embalo-Sierra allegedly denied that Thaon had been in the vehicle when the crash occurred. According to the complaint, Embalo-Sierra and Thaon eventually admitted that they both had agreed to lie to Progressive about who had been driving, in an effort to get the insurer to cover the claim. Thaon and Embalo-Sierra were each charged with one count of Insurance Fraud (F3), one count of Insurance Fraud-Conspiring with another (F3), and one count of Conspiracy to Commit Attempted Theft (F3). |
 On November 1, Rabanne Armstrong was arrested in Dauphin County. According to the criminal complaint, on July 30, 2022, at 8:50 PM, Armstrong obtained a Progressive Insurance policy for his BMW X5, which was to go into effect on July 30, 2022, at 9:15 PM. On August 2, 2022, at 9:51 AM, Armstrong allegedly reported to Progressive that the BMW was involved in a two-vehicle accident in Harrisburg on July 30, 2022, at 10:00 PM. During a subsequent recorded phone conversation, Armstrong told a Progressive representative that his BMW had rear-ended another vehicle when it suddenly stopped in front of him in a construction area. According to the complaint, the driver of the other involved vehicle told the insurer that the accident occurred around 8:00 PM on July 30, 2022, and that police arrived at the scene at approximately 9:00 PM. The driver allegedly advised that Armstrong was on his phone for an extended amount of time immediately after the crash. During a second recorded interview with investigators, Armstrong allegedly maintained that the accident occurred after his policy was in effect. Progressive denied the claim. Armstrong was charged with one count of Insurance Fraud (F3). |
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 On November 20, 2023, Emtiaz McClain was sentenced in Somerset County after entering a negotiated plea to one count of Criminal Attempt / Theft by Deception (M1). On November 20, 2020, at approximately 4:38 PM, McClain purchased an insurance policy for her 2017 Buick Enclave from National General Insurance Company. On November 24, McClain reported to National General that her Enclave had been involved in a single vehicle accident, which occurred on the previous day. During a recorded call with National General, McClain stated that a friend had been driving her vehicle without McClain’s permission when the accident occurred. National General’s claim handlers reviewed photos of the damage that McClain submitted. The photo metadata revealed that the accident actually occurred prior to the inception of McClain’s coverage. McClain was sentenced to serve 36 months of probation. She was ordered to pay a fine of $300.00 and all court costs. |
 On November 17, 2023, Jamie Sweeney was sentenced in Armstrong County after entering a negotiated plea to one count of Criminal Attempt / Theft by Deception (M1). Sweeney purchased a Liberty Mutual Insurance automobile insurance policy for her 2019 Jeep Wrangler on July 11, 2022, with an effective date of July 12, 2022. On July 13, Sweeney filed a claim with Liberty Mutual via the internet, in which she asserted that the Jeep had been involved in an accident earlier that day. Sweeney reported that the Jeep struck a cement barrier and that the impact damaged the vehicle’s front end and caused its airbags to deploy. On August 12, 2022, an investigator from Liberty Mutual conducted a recorded phone interview with Sweeney. During the recorded phone call, Sweeney maintained that the accident had occurred on July 13, 2022, and that police did not respond to the accident scene. However, prior to the interview, the insurance investigator had obtained a copy of the Pennsylvania State Police crash report, which revealed that Sweeney’s Jeep had been involved in an accident on July 9, 2022, at 5:49 PM, prior to the inception of Sweeney’s coverage. Investigators confirmed that the Jeep Wrangler was towed from the accident scene on July 13, 2022. Sweeney was sentenced to serve 24 months of probation and to complete 50 hours of community service. She was ordered to pay for all court and supervision costs. |
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Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition (ARD)
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During the month of November, 9 additional defendants received Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition (ARD).
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Anti-Fraud Compliance
Reporting of Insurance Fraud to Law Enforcement Agency
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Pennsylvania Bulletin Notice 2016-04 (issued April 30, 2016) reminded insurers of their obligations to report suspected arson or insurance fraud to law enforcement agencies within the Commonwealth. The bulletin also announced a decision by the Pennsylvania Department of Insurance to allow licensees to satisfy their reporting obligation when they electronically submit reports of suspected fraud to the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB).
On July 6, 2017, Pennsylvania began participating in this online service which enables member companies to electronically forward reports of suspected fraud to the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General’s Insurance Fraud Section or other appropriate law enforcement agencies at the same time the companies report suspicious claims to the NICB. NOTE: The NICB is not a law enforcement agency. Therefore, a licensee cannot satisfy the fraud reporting requirement by submitting a non-electronic (paper) referral only to the NICB.
Important: When utilizing electronic filing through NICB, users should take careful note of the provided instructions regarding the “Party” to a claim. Information entered about a Party will only be transmitted to law enforcement if users select one of two options: “This Party was subject to an SIU investigation” or “This Party was subject to an enforcement action.” Some users have missed this notation about individual Party data and consequently have submitted incomplete information to law enforcement.
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