Beginning on March 28, 2024, criminal charges were filed in Cumberland County against Kwa’rai Samuel, Lori Fish (now Lori Retus), Kevin Hartung, and businesses LKR Autobody and Repair and Hopper’s Foreign Auto Body and Repair. According to the charging documents, the arrests followed a lengthy investigation conducted by a Statewide Grand Jury, and involved the cooperative efforts of the Office of Attorney General’s Insurance Fraud Section, the National Insurance Crime Bureau, the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections and the Hampden Township Police Department. The complaint stated that at the conclusion of the investigation, the Grand Jury issued a written Presentment recommending the filing of criminal charges. According to the charging documents, the defendants worked in concert to illegally obtain insurance claim proceeds from four different insurance companies by filing 42 fictitious accident claims between April 3, 2021 through September 4, 2023. The charging documents stated that the defendants used fictitious information and stolen identities to obtain vehicle coverage from Permanent General Assurance Company (PGAC), Erie Insurance, State Farm and Root Insurance, then filed fraudulent claims for accidents purportedly involving high-end vehicles. According to the charging documents, there were no witnesses to any of the purported accidents and no police were involved. The investigation allegedly tied one or more defendants to each of the fictitious claims, either through a piece of identifying information, a payment, or a recorded statement. According to the charging documents, the investigation linked Lori Fish (Retus) to both of the defendant body shop businesses. The defendants allegedly utilized the names of those businesses to bolster the purported legitimacy of the claims. The alleged fraud resulted in insurance payments on 21 of the claims, in an amount totaling $300,998.23. According to the charging documents, Lori Fish (Retus) also illegally transferred a registered firearm to Kwa’rai Samuel.
    Lori Fish (Retus) was charged with two counts of Corrupt Organizations (F1), one count of Criminal Conspiracy (F1), two counts of Dealing in Proceeds of Illegal Activities (F1), six counts of Insurance Fraud (F3), one count of Insurance Fraud (M1), one count of Theft by Deception (F2), one count of Tampering with Public Records or Information (F3), and one count of Sale/Transfer of Firearms (F3). Kevin Hartung was charged with two counts of Corrupt Organizations (F1), one count of Criminal Conspiracy (F1), two counts of Dealing in Proceeds of Illegal Activities (F1), six counts of Insurance Fraud (F3), one count of Insurance Fraud (M1), one count of Theft by Deception (F2), one count of Tampering with Public Records or Information (F3), two counts of Identity Theft (victim over the age of 60) (F1), and one count of Identity Theft (F3). Kwa’rai Samuel was charged with two counts of Corrupt Organizations (F1), one count of Criminal Conspiracy (F1), two counts of Dealing in Proceeds of Illegal Activities (F1), six counts of Insurance Fraud (F3), one count of Insurance Fraud (M1), one count of Theft by Deception (F2), one count of Tampering with Public Records or Information (F3), two counts of Identity Theft (victim over the age of 60) (F1), one count of Identity Theft (F3), and one count of Person Not to Possess a Firearm (F2). Businesses LKR Auto Body and Repair and Hopper’s Foreign Auto Body and Parts were each charged with two counts of Corrupt Organizations (F1), one count of Criminal Conspiracy (F1), two counts of Dealing in Proceeds of Illegal Activities (F1), three counts of Insurance Fraud (F3), and one count of Theft by Deception (F3).

On March 28, 2024, Desiree Riley was arrested in Westmoreland County. According to the criminal complaint, on September 29, 2023, Riley’s Progressive Insurance vehicle policy was cancelled for non-payment. On November 8, 2023, at approximately 6:21 PM, Riley allegedly purchased a new Progressive policy that included comprehensive and collision coverage. At 5:46 AM on November 15, 2023, Riley allegedly filed a claim with Progressive via the internet for damage to her vehicle resulting from a deer strike. According to the complaint, Riley reported that the accident occurred as she was driving to work at 5:15 AM on November 15. When a claims representative contacted her several days later, Riley allegedly reiterated that the deer strike occurred on November 15, 2023. During an investigation of the claim, investigators interviewed one of Riley’s relatives. The relative allegedly provided investigators with a screenshot of a text message that she received from Riley, which included a photo of Riley’s damaged vehicle.  According to the complaint, Progressive representatives noted that the text was dated November 8, 2023 at 7:36 PM, and included a daylight photo of the damaged vehicle. The complaint stated that Progressive investigators confirmed that the sun had set at 5:37 PM on November 8, and concluded that the photo of Riley’s damaged vehicle was before she purchased the Progressive policy at 6:21 PM. According to the complaint, Riley allegedly admitted during questioning that the deer strike occurred before she obtained coverage. Progressive denied the claim. Riley was charged with one count of Insurance Fraud (F3) and one count of Criminal Attempt/Theft by Deception (F3).

On March 26, 2024, Algenis Duran-Pena was arrested in Berks County. According to the complaint, Duran-Pena’s Progressive Insurance automobile policy was canceled for non-payment on November 30, 2022. At 5:50 AM on December 10, 2022, Duran-Pena allegedly reinstated the coverage by providing Progressive with a statement of no loss, indicating that the vehicle was not involved in any accidents during the lapse in coverage lapse and that the vehicle incurred no damage. The complaint stated that on December 10 at 6:11 AM, Duran-Pena filed a claim with Progressive for damage to his vehicle that occurred at 9:36 PM on December 9, 2022. According to the complaint, investigators confirmed that the accident occurred before Duran-Pena reinstated his lapsed coverage. Progressive denied the claim. Duran-Pena was charged with one count of Insurance Fraud (M1) and one count of Criminal Attempt / Theft by Deception (M1).

On March 26, 2024, Marlana Davis was arrested in Clinton County. According to the complaint, on September 14, 2022, Davis’ Progressive Insurance vehicle policy was cancelled for nonpayment. She allegedly renewed her coverage on September 21, 2022 at 8:19 AM. The complaint stated that at 9:30 AM that day, Davis contacted the insurer and reported that her vehicle had been involved in an accident at approximately 8:30 AM.  According to the complaint, Davis and the driver of the other involved vehicle exchanged information at the scene. The other driver sought medical treatment at a hospital several hours later. When a Pennsylvania State Police Trooper arrived at the hospital to take the driver’s report, the Trooper allegedly found that the driver had two different Progressive policy numbers for Davis’s vehicle insurance. According to the complaint, the Trooper contacted Progressive to verify Davis’s auto coverage and advised the insurer that the crash occurred at approximately 8:10 AM on September 21, 2022.  The complaint stated that Progressive investigated further and subsequently confirmed that the accident occurred prior to the reinstatement of Davis’s coverage. Progressive denied the claim. Davis was charged with one count of Insurance Fraud (F3), one count of Criminal Attempt / Theft by Deception (F3), and one count of Insurance Fraud (M1).

On March 26, 2024, Nakeria Rosser was arrested in Philadelphia County. According to the criminal complaint, at 11:22 AM on December 23, 2022, Rosser added comprehensive coverage to her existing Progressive Insurance vehicle policy. Progressive allegedly advised Rosser that the additional coverage would take effect on December 28, 2022. On December 29, 2022, Rosser allegedly contacted the insurer and reported that falling tree branches damaged her vehicle earlier that day. According to the complaint, Rosser used Progressive’s online claims application to upload photos of the damaged vehicle. Investigators reviewed the photos’ metadata and allegedly found that the pictures were taken between 9:57 AM and 10:07 AM on December 23, 2022, which was before Rosser added comprehensive coverage to her policy. The claim was denied. Rosser was charged with one count of Insurance Fraud (F3), one count of Criminal Attempt / Theft by Deception (F3), and one count of Unlawful Use of Computer (F3)

On March 22, 2024, Jose Arreola and Maria Murillo were arrested in Allegheny County. According to the criminal complaint, on May 31, 2022, Arreola and his wife, Murillo, established roofing business Incline Construction, LLC. The complaint stated that another company, Craig Gouker Roofing & Home Improvements, utilized Incline Construction as a subcontractor for roofing jobs. On June 16, 2022, an Incline Construction employee allegedly injured his hand while working on a Gouker Roofing job. At that time, Incline Construction did not have Workers’ Compensation insurance for its employees. The complaint stated that while the injured worker was convalescing, Arreola paid him approximately one third of his regular wages. Arreola also allegedly asked the injured employee on several occasions not to file suit, because Incline Construction lacked Workers’ Compensation coverage. According to the complaint, on July 19, 2022, the injured roofer filed a Worker's Compensation claim against the primary contractor Gouker Roofing. Gouker Roofing allegedly had  Workers’ Compensation coverage with Encova Insurance. The complaint stated that Gouker Roofing contested the claim and maintained that the injured worker was an employee of subcontractor Incline Construction. The PA Department of Labor and Industry investigated the employee’s claim and allegedly found that Incline Construction did not have Workers’ Compensation insurance from May 31, 2022 through July 28, 2022. Law enforcement interviews of Murillo and Arreola allegedly revealed that Murillo handles the paperwork for Incline Construction and that Arreola is in charge of the business’s logistics and roofing job completion. The couple allegedly admitted that Incline Construction did not have Workers’ Compensation insurance coverage for approximately two months in 2022. Arreola and Murillo were each charged with 59 counts of Failure to Insure (F3), fifty-nine counts of Failure to Insure (M3), one count Criminal Conspiracy / Failure to Insure (F3), and one count Criminal Conspiracy / Failure to Insure (M3).

On March 21, 2024, Christopher Micco was arrested in Lawrence County. According to the criminal complaint, on April 12, 2023, Micco was driving a friend’s 2021 Dodge Ram in Akron, Ohio, when the truck struck the side of a parked vehicle. The complaint stated that at the time of the crash, Micco was an excluded driver on his friend’s Erie Insurance vehicle policy. The owner of the parked vehicle allegedly contacted Erie and the Akron Police Department and advised that earlier that day, her 2011 Ford Edge was parked on the side of a road when it was struck and damaged by another vehicle. The complaint stated that on April 14, 2023, Micco contacted the Rodgers & Company Insurance Agency and reported that while the 2021 Dodge Ram was parked overnight at his ex-wife’s residence, it was struck and damaged by another vehicle. Micco allegedly claimed that the accident caused extensive damage to the front-end and/or passenger side of the truck. According to the complaint, Erie Insurance contacted Akron police and learned that the police had video footage that showed the 2021 Dodge Ram striking the parked 2011 Ford Edge. Police contacted the owner of the Dodge Ram, who allegedly advised that Micco had been driving the truck in the Akron area on April 12. During a subsequent interview with investigators, Micco allegedly stated he had been using the truck to make deliveries for a food service, when the Dodge Ram inadvertently struck a parked vehicle. Micco was charged with one count of Insurance Fraud (F3) and one count of Theft by Deception (F3).

On March 18, 2024, Nowah Maher was arrested in Berks County. According to the criminal complaint, Maher’s Progressive Insurance vehicle policy canceled for non-payment on January 23, 2023. Maher allegedly reinstated his coverage on January 25, 2023, at 6:19 PM, after providing Progressive with a signed statement indicating that his vehicle had not been in any accidents during the lapse period. The complaint stated that at 6:34 PM on January 25, 2023, Maher reported that his vehicle was involved in an accident at 11:52 AM. According to the complaint, Progressive representatives reviewed the metadata from photos of the damaged vehicle that Maher had provided and found that the pictures had been taken at 11:41 AM on January 25. Investigators allegedly confirmed that police were dispatched to the crash scene at 11:45 AM, which was before Maher reinstated his lapsed vehicle coverage. Progressive ultimately denied the claim.  Maher was charged with one count of Insurance Fraud (F3) and one count of Criminal Attempt / Theft by Deception (F3).

On March 15, 2024, Robert Stoneroad was arrested in Dauphin County. According to the criminal complaint, Stoneroad obtained a Progressive Insurance policy on April 14, 2022. When he allegedly failed to make payments, the policy was canceled on August 3, 2022.  Stoneroad allegedly went online and reinstated his coverage at approximately 3:37 PM on September 30, 2022. According to the complaint, at 4:43 PM that same day, a caller notified Progressive that Stoneroad’s vehicle damaged the caller’s vehicle in a crash that occurred at approximately 2:30 PM that afternoon. The caller allegedly indicated that his daughter was driving his vehicle at the time and had taken photographs at the accident scene. According to the complaint, Progressive reviewed the photos, which included a screenshot of Stoneroad’s cell phone displaying an online copy of Stoneroad’s insurance card from his canceled Progressive policy. The screenshot allegedly displayed the time as 2:25 PM. When a Progressive representative contacted Stoneroad, he allegedly stated that the accident occurred after he reinstated his coverage. According to the complaint, Stoneroad eventually admitted that he misrepresented the time of the accident in an effort to have the insurer pay for the damage. Stoneroad was charged with one count of Insurance Fraud (F3) and one count of Criminal Attempt/Theft by Deception (F3).

On March 15, 2024, April English was arrested in Montgomery County. According to the criminal complaint, on October 9, 2022, at 12:29 PM, English reported to the Philadelphia Police Department that her 2019 Hyundai Elantra was stolen around midnight from where it was parked near her residence. English allegedly contacted Progressive Insurance at 1:02 PM and reported the theft of her vehicle. Philadelphia Police recovered English’s vehicle on October 10, 2022. During the course of the claim, Progressive allegedly received conflicting information concerning the location of English’s residence and primary garaging location of her vehicle. According to the complaint, an insured’s residential address and primary vehicle garaging location are among the factors insurance companies rely upon to determine the risk involved in writing the policy and how much to charge for coverage. Progressive allegedly asked English to provide proof of her home address. The complaint stated that English provided the insurer with a copy of what appeared to be her residential lease. However, when investigators contacted the property owner listed on the document, the landlord allegedly stated that the lease was fraudulent and that the landlord’s purported signature had been forged. Investigators allegedly ordered a license plate reader report, which showed locations where English’s Hyundai had been. According to the complaint, the report revealed that English’s car often was parked at an address in Philadelphia, rather than at the address English had provided to the insurer as her place of residence. According to the complaint, English could not explain the results of the report or the alleged inconsistencies regarding the lease document. Progressive allegedly determined that English had misrepresented her address in order to avoid paying a higher premium for vehicle coverage. Progressive denied the claim. English 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), one count of Forgery (F3), one count of Tampering with Public Records or Identification (F3), one count of Insurance Fraud (M1).

On March 14, 2024, Lawerance Rand was arrested in Mercer County. According to the criminal complaint, on January 18, 2024, Rand obtained a policy for his 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee from Permanent General Assurance Corporation (The General). On January 23, Rand allegedly contacted The General and reported that his Jeep was damaged while it was parked overnight at his friend’s residence in Warren, OH. The complaint stated that Rand told the insurer that Ivan’s Auto Body & Repair towed his Jeep to their shop. When investigators from The General contacted Ivan’s Auto Body, they allegedly learned that Rand’s Jeep was brought to the shop sometime between 5:00 PM on January 16, and 8:00 AM on January 17. According to the complaint, that time period was prior to the inception of Rand’s policy. Further investigation allegedly revealed that Rand rented the Jeep to an acquaintance for five days. During that time period, a friend of Rand’s acquaintance allegedly drove the Jeep and crashed it. The complaint stated that Rand learned of the crash by way of a text on January 14. When investigators confronted Rand with their findings, Rand allegedly admitted that his vehicle was uninsured at the time of the accident and that he deliberately misrepresented the date of loss to the insurer.  The claim was denied. Rand was charged with one count of Insurance Fraud (F3) and one count of Criminal Attempt / Theft by Deception (F3).

On March 13, 2024, Maya Dukuly was arrested in Bucks County. According to the criminal complaint, a family member was driving Dukuly's 2015 Dodge Challenger  when it was involved in an accident with a 2019 Kia Sportage between 3:00 and 3:15 PM on January 24, 2023. The complaint stated that the Dodge sustained significant front-end damage. According to the complaint, the owner of the Kia Sportage contacted GEICO Insurance to report the crash, and provided the insurer with photos of the vehicle damage. The complaint stated that GEICO learned that Dukuly’s Safe Auto (now National General) vehicle policy canceled on November 22, 2021, but was reactivated shortly after the January 24, 2023 crash. According to the complaint, Safe Auto issued no payment for the accident because Dukuly was uninsured at that time. On April 12, 2023, Dukuly allegedly called Safe Auto and reported that her Dodge Challenger had been damaged in a hit-and-run accident in Philadelphia on the previous day. According to the complaint, Dukuly reported that another vehicle tried to merge in front of her and struck the Challenger. Dukuly allegedly told the insurer that she called police after the accident, but they did not respond and she did not complete a crash report. The complaint stated that Dukuly sent photos to the insurer, which showed her car with heavy front-end damage and no front bumper. According to the complaint, Dukuly reported that she had taken her car to a Philadelphia body shop after the January 24 crash, but the body shop had not repaired it properly. The complaint further stated that Dukuly insisted that the current damage to the Challenger was different from the January 24 damage. Investigators contacted the Philadelphia body shop, which allegedly found no records of the Dodge Challenger ever coming to the shop for repairs. Further, the complaint stated that investigators compared photos of the damaged Challenger from the January 24 and April 11 accidents and found the damage to be the same. The investigators also determined that the April 11 damage to the Dodge was not consistent with damage from the side-swipe accident that Dukuly allegedly claimed. Safe Auto denied Dukuly’s claim. Dukuly 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).

On March 7, 2024, Guy Cardine St. Victor was arrested in Dauphin County. According to the criminal complaint, on October 16, 2021, St. Victor purchased an automobile policy from Kemper Insurance to cover a 2012 BMW and a 2018 Nissan Altima. When she applied for coverage, St. Victor allegedly reported that she lived on Wakefield Road in Harrisburg. The complaint stated that on the policy application, St. Victor stated that she lived at the Harrisburg address for at least 10 months out of the year and was the only resident of the property. St. Victor also allegedly indicated on the application that no covered drivers travelled to New York or New Jersey more than three times per month. According to the complaint, when the policy was renewed on April 16, 2022, the declaration page listed St. Victor’s address as North Arlington Avenue in Harrisburg. The complaint stated that on June 16, 2022, St. Victor contacted Kemper and reported that while she was in New York taking her daughter to camp, her BMW was sideswiped by a truck. St. Victor allegedly told the insurer that the BMW was towed to a body shop in Brooklyn. According to the complaint, a Kemper adjuster conducted a license plate search of St. Victor’s vehicles, which showed the BMW only at locations in New York. The adjuster allegedly was unable to find any Pennsylvania records pertaining to St. Victor, and noted that St. Victor’s phone number contained a New York City area code. According to the complaint, a policyholder’s home address and primary garaging location are among the factors insurers use in determining the amount of risk involved in writing a policy and the amount of premium to charge for coverage. In a June 23, 2022, recorded statement taken by a Kemper investigator, St. Victor allegedly claimed that she lived in Harrisburg, but travelled to work in New York three times per week. The complaint stated that a Kemper investigator travelled to both the Wakefield Road and North Arlington Avenue policy addresses in Harrisburg and found that St. Victor had not lived at either location. The complaint further stated that investigators obtained a copy of St. Victor’s PA driver license application and supporting documentation submitted to PennDOT. According to the complaint, investigators found that the documents that PennDOT had received a purported proof of St. Victor’s PA residency were altered. Kemper did not pay St. Victor’s claim. St. Victor was charged with one count of Insurance Fraud (F3), one count of Tampering with Public Records (F3), one count of Insurance Fraud (M1), one count of Unsworn Falsification (M1) and one count of Theft by Deception (M1).

On March 4, 2024, Andrea Crawford was arrested in Philadelphia County. According to the criminal complaint, Crawford obtained a policy from NJM Insurance for a 2015 Chevrolet Impala on September 9, 2020. The coverage allegedly lapsed for nonpayment on December 1, 2021. The complaint stated that shortly after midnight on December 6, 2021, Crawford’s Impala was involved in a two-vehicle accident in Center City Philadelphia.  Crawford had been driving her Impala and had three passengers in the car when the crash occurred, according to the complaint. The complaint stated that according to emergency dispatch records, the first 911 call for the accident came in at 1:10 AM on December 6, 2021, and police were dispatched to the scene. At 3:22 PM on December 6, Crawford allegedly reinstated her lapsed NJM vehicle policy. During the reinstatement process, Crawford allegedly told them her vehicle had no accidents or violations and was not impounded or damaged during the lapse period. Crawford also allegedly stated that no one else resided in her household or had access to the insured vehicle. According to the complaint, NJM reinstated Crawford’s policy on December 6, 2021 and made the coverage retroactive to December 1. At 9:52 PM on December 6, Crawford allegedly contacted Allstate Insurance, the insurer of the other involved vehicle, and reported the accident. During a recorded call with Allstate, Crawford allegedly told the insurer that the accident occurred on December 6, 2021, between 1:15 AM and 1:20 AM. The complaint stated that on December 27, 2021, Crawford called and spoke with an NJM representative and stated that the accident had occurred at approximately 1:15 PM on December 7 or December 8. Crawford allegedly told the representative that police did not come to the crash scene, but that she called them later. The complaint stated that Crawford advised the representative that her two sons were among her passengers at the time of the accident, that her sons are of driving age, and that they live with her. During an inspection of Crawford’s vehicle, the insurer allegedly found that the damage included unrelated prior damage. According to the complaint, NJM determined that Crawford had misrepresented the condition of her vehicle at the time of her policy reinstatement. The claim was denied. Crawford was charged with one count of Insurance Fraud (F3), one count of Criminal Attempt / Theft by Deception (F3), one count of one count of Criminal Use of a Communication Facility (F3), and one count of Insurance Fraud (M1).

On March 4, 2024, Merojiddin Khamdamov and Abdusamad Khamdamov were arrested in Philadelphia County. According to the criminal complaint, at approximately 9:40 AM on January 5, 2023, Merojiddin was operating a beige 2020 Volvo tractor-trailer for Sam Group Logistics when it was involved in a two-vehicle accident in Waynesboro, Georgia. Police with active body cameras allegedly responded to the scene. According to the complaint, the body camera audio/video recordings confirmed that Merojiddin had been driving a beige 2020 Volvo tractor-trailer with a large front bumper guard at the time of the crash. The complaint stated that at approximately 12:17 PM on January 5, Merojiddin’s cousin Abdusamad Khamdavmov, who owns Sam Group Logistics, electronically added the 2020 Volvo to the business’s existing commercial Progressive Insurance policy. Minutes later, Merojiddin Khamdavmov’s name allegedly was added to the policy as a driver. According to the complaint, a claim was filed with Progressive by a law firm representing the driver of the other vehicle from the January 5 accident. On January 24, 2023, Merojiddin met with an officer at the Waynesboro Georgia police station and allegedly attested in writing that he had been operating a 2018 Volvo with the wrong license plate at the time of the crash. According to the criminal complaint, on January 31, 2023, a Progressive claims representative spoke with Abdusamad about the incident. Abdusamad allegedly stated the police accident report incorrectly identified the tractor-trailer as a 2020 Volvo, rather than as the 2018 Volvo truck covered by the policy. The complaint stated that on February 6, 2023, Abdusamad again confirmed that Merojiddin had been driving the 2018 Volvo. However, a subsequent investigation and vehicle records check allegedly confirmed that the insured 2018 Volvo was red in color and did not have the same front bumper guard as the beige 2020 Volvo. The complaint stated that Abdusamad refused to cooperate further with Progressive’s investigation. The claim was subsequently denied. The defendants were each charged with one count of Insurance Fraud (F3), one count of Criminal Attempt / Theft by Deception (F3), one count of Conspiracy (F3).  Additionally, Merojiddin was charged with one count of Recklessly Endangering Another Person (M2).

On March 1, 2024, William Hamilton was arrested in Butler County. According to the criminal complaint, at 8:55 AM on August 23, 2023, Hamilton added a 2014 Dodge Durango to his existing Progressive Insurance automobile policy. The complaint stated that on October 21, 2023, Hamilton went online and reported a claim to Progressive, which concerned an accident involving his Dodge Durango. Hamilton allegedly informed the insurer that he had been driving the Durango to work at 12:00 PM on August 23, 2023, when his vehicle slid off the road and struck a tree.  However, according to the complaint, the Jackson Township Police Department crash report revealed that authorities responded to Hamilton’s accident at 5:55 AM on August 23, 2023, several hours before Hamilton added the Durango to his policy. Progressive denied the claim. Hamilton was charged with one count of Insurance Fraud (F3) and one count of Criminal Attempt / Theft by Deception (F3).

On March 26, 2024, Lanae Robinson was sentenced in Dauphin County after entering an open plea to one count of Insurance Fraud (M1) and one count of Theft by Deception (M1). On April 4, 2022, Robinson obtained an automobile policy for her 2006 Infiniti M35 from Esurance Insurance Company, which since was acquired by NGIC. On April 6, 2022, Robinson reported to the insurer that an unknown vehicle struck and damaged her Infinity while it was parked and unoccupied. During an interview conducted by NGIC on April 13, 2022, Robinson advised that she noticed the damage to her vehicle at approximately 7:30 AM on April 6, when she was taking her child to school.  Robinson told the insurer that her Infiniti was towed to an auto body shop, and that police had been notified. On April 18, 2022, Robinson emailed photos of the vehicle damage to NGIC. Investigators reviewed them and determined from the accompanying metadata that the pictures were taken after NGIC interviewed Robinson on the previous day. NGIC contacted the tow company and found that it had no record of Robinson’s vehicle. The claim was subsequently closed. On May 21, 2022, Robinson used NGIC’s web portal to file a second claim for hit-and-run damage to her 2006 Infiniti. She also submitted a set of photographs in support of this claim. An NGIC representative compared the photos and information that Robinson provided for the two claims and determined that the damage to the Infinity was the same in both. The claim was denied. Robinson was sentenced to serve 12 months of probation. She was ordered to pay a $300 fine, pay the costs of prosecution, and pay $300 to the Insurance Fraud Prevention Authority.

On March 7, 2024, Cody Bishop was sentenced in Perry County after entering a negotiated plea to one count of Insurance Fraud (M1). At 3:15 PM on November 3, 2022, Bishop purchased a Progressive Insurance policy covering his 2020 Volkswagen Jetta. During the application process, Bishop stated that his vehicle had no pre-existing damage. At 4:33 PM on November 3, Bishop used his cell phone to contact Progressive and reported that the Jetta was damaged during a deer strike, which occurred a few minutes earlier. Bishop provided photos of his damaged vehicle to Progressive. Investigators reviewed the photos and the accompanying metadata, which revealed that some of the pictures were taken on October 26, 2022, prior to the inception of Bishop’s policy. Progressive denied the claim. Bishop was sentenced to serve 12 months of probation. He was ordered to pay a $200.00 fine and all court costs.

During the month of March, 5 additional defendants received 
Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition (ARD).