Warren County Chiropractor Arrested for Alleged Fraudulent Billing
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 On May 16, 2023, Ryan Fralick was arrested in Warren County. According to the criminal complaint, a couple visited Fralick Chiropractic in Warren, PA, in April 2022, seeking treatment of injuries that resulted from separate motor vehicle accidents. Fralick Chiropractic is owned and operated by Ryan Fralick. The complaint stated that one of the patients utilized her United Healthcare insurance to pay for her initial treatment, while her partner used his health savings account to pay for his initial treatment. Fralick allegedly told the couple that he could tie their injuries to their auto accidents and asked them to provide his staff with their auto insurance policy information. The complaint stated that the man and the woman each had separate auto policies through State Farm Insurance and provided their coverage information to Fralick Chiropractic. After receiving treatments on three occasions, the couple allegedly was dissatisfied with the care that they had received. According to the complaint, Fralick told the couple that they would each need approximately $6,000.00 worth of treatments and offered to provide them with an attorney who could file a lawsuit against State Farm. The complaint stated that the couple decided not to return to Fralick’s office. When the female patient received an Explanation of Benefits from State Farm, she allegedly found that the form listed numerous billings for services that neither she nor her partner had received from Fralick Chiropractic. After the patient contacted State Farm to express her concerns, the insurer allegedly asked the couple to review records of bills that State Farm received from Fralick. According to the complaint, State Farm then asked Fralick to provide patient sign-in sheets confirming that the couple had been treated on the days reflected in the bills. Fralick allegedly failed to respond. The complaint stated that Fralick billed State Farm a total of $6,830.00 for services purportedly provided to one of the patients which had not been rendered. State Farm allegedly could not confirm that the treatments actually took place and denied payment. The complaint further stated that Fralick billed State Farm $1,623.26 for services purportedly provided to the other patient, including charges for the patient’s initial treatment which the patient had previously paid. According to the complaint, State Farm was unaware of the prior payment, and paid Fralick the entire amount. Fralick was charged with two counts of Insurance Fraud (F3), one count of Criminal Attempt / Theft by Deception (F3), and one count of Theft by Deception (M1). |
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 On May 31, 2023, Angela Echevarria was arrested in Philadelphia County. According to the criminal complaint, on February 15, 2022, Echevarria used the Progressive Insurance website to purchase a personal auto policy for her 2014 Honda Accord. The coverage became effective at approximately 10:30 PM that same day. During the online process, Echevarria allegedly provided the insurer with a Pennsylvania residential address, driver’s license, and vehicle registration for the 2014 Honda Accord. The complaint stated that on February 16, 2022, at 6:09 AM, Echevarria submitted an online collision claim to Progressive and reported that her Honda had been involved in an accident in New York City at approximately 2:45 AM that morning. Echevarria allegedly provided the insurer with a photo that purportedly was taken immediately after the accident occurred. However, the photo’s metadata allegedly revealed that the photo of the damaged vehicle actually had been taken on February 15, 2022, at 1:27 PM. Progressive denied the claim. The complaint further stated that investigators determined that Echevarria had used a Philadelphia address on the application to Progressive for her auto policy and on paperwork submitted to PennDOT for her Pennsylvania driver’s license and Pennsylvania registration for her Honda. According to the complaint, investigators established that Echevarria actually lived in New York City and had never lived at the Philadelphia address. Echevarria was charged with one count of Forgery (F3), two counts 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 False Swearing (M2), one count of False Application (M1), and one count of Insurance Fraud (M1). |
 On May 25, 2023, Tamara Diaz was arrested in Dauphin County. According to the criminal complaint, on May 19, 2022, at 2:24 PM, Diaz’s 2005 silver Acura had been involved in a three-vehicle accident. The complaint stated that at 2:31 PM that same day, Glacier Insurance received an email, purportedly from Diaz’s mother, asking the insurer to add Diaz’s 2005 Acura to her policy. The vehicle was added to the policy at 3:34 PM, with liability coverage only. The complaint stated that on June 3, 2022, the driver of one of the other vehicles that had been involved in the May 19 accident contacted Glacier and filed a claim. A Glacier claims adjuster then attempted to contact the owner of the policy covering Diaz’s Acura, to confirm the date and time of the accident. Diaz allegedly posed as her mother during the call and discussed the details of the accident and subsequent claim with the adjuster. According to the complaint, a Glacier representative obtained a copy of a Pennsylvania State Police accident report which revealed that the accident involving Diaz’s Acura occurred before the Acura was added to the policy. Glacier Insurance denied the claim. Diaz was charged with one count of Insurance Fraud (F3) and one count of Criminal Attempt / Theft by Deception (F3). |
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 On May 24, 2023, Crystal Reid was arrested in Philadelphia County. According to the criminal complaint, on Saturday, June 11, 2022, Reid called Kemper Insurance and reported that she had been driving her 2006 Pontiac Grand Prix when it struck a parked car. She allegedly reported that her boyfriend had been a passenger in the vehicle’s front seat, and that their young son had been in the back seat when the accident occurred. According to the complaint, Reid’s boyfriend was listed on the policy as an excluded driver. When a Kemper representative interviewed the boyfriend, he allegedly stated that Reid had been driving at the time of the accident. The complaint stated that the video surveillance recovered from the owner of the parked car showed Reid’s boyfriend exiting the car from the driver’s side door of the Grand Prix immediately after the accident, with Reid exiting the front passenger seat of the car. When investigators confronted Reid and her boyfriend with the existence of the video, they eventually admitted to investigators that the boyfriend was, in fact, the operator of the vehicle at the time of the accident. The claim was denied. Reid was charged with one count of Insurance Fraud (F3), one count of Criminal Use of Communication Facility (F3), one count of Criminal Conspiracy (F3), and one count of Criminal Attempt / Theft by Deception (M1). |
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(NO PHOTO AVAILABLE) On May 24, 2023, Vern Moore, Jr. was arrested in Lancaster County. According to the criminal complaint, on May 23, 2022, Moore purchased an automobile insurance policy from The General Insurance Company for his 2012 Cadillac SRX. On June 6, 2022, Moore filed a claim with the General in which he allegedly stated that his 2012 Cadillac SRX had been stolen. A claims adjuster for The General took a recorded telephone statement, during which Moore allegedly claimed that he had parked his car on a car lot in Lancaster on May 30, 2022, then discovered that the car was missing when he returned. According to the complaint, an investigation revealed that the car was not stolen, but that Moore had given it to another person to sell. The complaint further stated that the other person sold the vehicle to an auction house, then was unable to contact Moore about the sale or pay him. The claim was denied. Moore was charged with one count of Insurance Fraud (F3) and one count of Criminal Attempt / Theft by Deception (F3).
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 On May 23, 2023, Ray Rothfuss, III was arrested in Lycoming County. According to the criminal complaint, on March 6, 2022, Rothfuss reported to Progressive Insurance that he had been operating his 2009 Chevrolet Silverado when it struck a deer earlier that day, damaging the vehicle’s front end. Claim investigators allegedly learned that in 2016, Rothfuss had filed a claim with Travelers Insurance for damage to the Silverado and was paid by Travelers. The complaint stated that investigators then compared photos of the vehicle damage from the prior Travelers claim with more recent photos from the Progressive claim and determined that the damage was the same. Progressive denied payment of the 2022 claim. Rothfuss was charged with one count of Insurance Fraud (F3) and one count of Criminal Attempt / Theft by Deception (F3). |
 On May 17, 2023, Marlon Allen was arrested in Philadelphia County. According to the criminal complaint, on April 5, 2022, Allen purchased a Progressive Insurance policy for his 2015 Mercedes-Benz C300. On May 26, 2022, at 9:46 AM, Allen allegedly called the insurer and asked to reduce his policy deductibles for comprehensive and collision from $2,000.00 to $100.00, effective May 31, 2022. The complaint stated that on May 31, 2022, at 1:10 AM, Allen reported to Progressive that his parked vehicle had been damaged five minutes earlier, possibly by a hit-and-run driver. The complaint stated that Allen emailed photos of the damage to Progressive. Investigators reviewed the photos and, according to the complaint, they observed that the pictures had been taken in broad daylight, not early in the morning when the crash purportedly occurred. Further, the photos allegedly revealed that “touch-up” paint appeared to have been applied to the vehicle to cover the damaged area. The complaint further stated that investigators compared these photos with ones that Allen had provided to the insurer before Allen’s initial policy was bound on April 5, 2022, and found that both photo sets showed the same vehicle damage and “touch-up” paint application. The claim was denied. Allen was charged with one count of Insurance Fraud (F3) and one count of Criminal Attempt / Theft by Deception (F3). |
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 On May 17, 2023, Michael Moore was arrested in Philadelphia County. According to the criminal complaint, Moore’s OMNI Insurance policy expired on July 14, 2018. On January 19, 2022, at 8:01 PM, Moore allegedly signed and paid for a Kemper Insurance automobile policy for a 2007 Ford F-150. The complaint stated that on January 22, 2022, at approximately 2:00 PM, Moore called Kemper and claimed that the Ford had been involved in an accident. Moore allegedly reported that his Ford was struck “head-on” by another vehicle on January 19, 2022. According to the complaint, Moore claimed that the Ford sustained damage and that Moore, and his passenger were injured in the crash. Moore also allegedly claimed that the driver of the other involved vehicle fled on foot after the collision. Investigators subsequently contacted Moore and conducted a recorded interview. When they asked Moore to provide the exact time of the crash and to confirm whether he purchased the coverage before or after the accident, Moore allegedly referred them to his attorney. According to the complaint, investigators reviewed photographs of the vehicle that had been taken after the crash and found what appeared to be significant prior damage. The complaint further stated that Philadelphia Fire Department logs showed that the Department responded to a vehicle accident without injuries, at 7:30 PM on January 19, 2022. According to the complaint, the fire department’s response to the scene of Moore’s accident occurred more than 30 minutes before Moore purchased his policy with cash at a nearby insurance agency. Moore allegedly reported that he was picked up from the accident scene by a family member. Hospital emergency room records allegedly confirmed that Moore was treated on January 19, 2022, at 9:19 PM, but the records made no mention of a concussion or other traumatic head trauma. Kemper denied the claim. Moore was charged with one count of Insurance Fraud (F3), one count of Criminal Use of a Communication Facility (F3), one count of Criminal Attempt / Theft by Deception (F3), and one count of Insurance Fraud (M1). |
 On May 12, 2023, Donnie Diaz was arrested in Delaware County. According to the criminal complaint, on September 20, 2021, at 9:59 AM, Diaz purchased an automobile policy from Progressive Insurance for his 1997 Toyota Corolla. On September 21, 2021, at 5:19 PM, Diaz allegedly used Progressive’s online app to file a claim, which indicated that Diaz had been operating the Toyota when it was involved in a two-vehicle accident at noon on September 20, 2021. The complaint stated that a Progressive claims representative obtained a recorded interview with Diaz, who stated that the loss happened between 11:30 AM and 12:00 PM on September 20. Diaz allegedly provided Progressive with several photos from the accident. According to the complaint, only one of the photos contained metadata, which indicated that the corresponding photo was taken at 7:45 AM on September 20. However, the complaint further stated that claim records pertaining to the other involved driver indicated that the accident actually occurred at 8:00 AM. The other driver allegedly confirmed the time to a representative of Progressive. According to the complaint, the other driver provided Progressive with screen shots of text messages that she and Diaz had exchanged on the morning of the loss, between 7:52 AM and 8:03 AM. Progressive allegedly determined that the accident occurred prior to the inception of Diaz’s policy and denied the claim. Diaz was charged with one count of Insurance Fraud (F3), one count of Insurance Fraud (M1,) one count of Criminal Attempt / Theft by Deception (F3), one count of Forgery (F3), one count of Theft by Deception (F3), and one count of Criminal Use of a Communication Facility (F3). |
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 On May 10, 2023, Dejuan White was arrested in Montgomery County. According to the criminal complaint, at 4:28 PM on January 29, 2021, White purchased an automobile insurance policy for his 2005 Ford Freestyle from Progressive Insurance. At 5:53 PM that same day, White allegedly called Progressive and claimed that while he was securing the coverage, the Ford was involved in a two-vehicle accident in Philadelphia. During a recorded statement with Progressive, White allegedly reported that the accident occurred between 5 PM and 6 PM on January 29, after the policy became effective. The complaint stated that during an investigation of the claim, White maintained that the accident occurred after he had purchased the policy online, while he was at home. However, the complaint further stated that the metadata on digital photos that White provided to Progressive indicated that the photos had been taken more than two hours before White’s policy inception. Progressive denied the claim. White was charged with one count of Insurance Fraud (F3), one count of Criminal Attempt / Theft by Deception (F3), and one count of Criminal Use of Communication Facility (F3). |
 On May 9, 2023, Diane Bacon was arrested in Mercer County. According to the criminal complaint, Bacon added comprehensive and collision coverage to her Progressive Insurance policy, which covered her 2013 Chrysler Town & Country. The additional coverage became effective on August 18, 2022. On August 19, 2022, Bacon allegedly reported to the insurer that her vehicle struck a pole on that date, damaging the rear of her Chrysler. Bacon allegedly provided the insurer with photos of the damage. However, according to the complaint, the photo metadata revealed that the pictures were taken on August 11, which was prior to the effective date of the comprehensive and collision coverage. The complaint further stated that Bacon admitted to investigators that she had taken the photos on the actual accident date. The claim was denied. Bacon was charged with one count of Insurance Fraud (F3) and one count of Criminal Attempt / Theft by Deception (F3). |
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 On May 8, 2023, Demaja Thompson was arrested in Chester County. According to the criminal complaint, on March 27, 2022, Thompson called Allstate Insurance and filed a claim in which she reported that her windshield had been vandalized the night before. Allstate Insurance paid Thompson $2,392.40 for the claim. The complaint further stated that on May 19, Allstate received a call from an individual who reported that on March 26, Thompson had been charged by police for allegedly using her insured vehicle to strike the caller. Allstate obtained a Coatesville Police Department incident report, which allegedly confirmed that the victim was struck by Thompson’s vehicle. The victim allegedly was thrown on top of the vehicle’s windshield, causing the windshield glass to crack. Thompson was charged with one count of Insurance Fraud (F3) and one count of Theft by Deception (F3). |
 On May 8, 2023, Kelly Ann Ree was arrested in Montgomery County on an outstanding warrant issued in Luzerne County. According to the criminal complaint, on May 6, 2020, Ree used another person’s identity to receive medical treatment at a Geisinger Hospital. The victim was billed by Geisinger for approximately $4,627.00 for the medical treatment that Ree allegedly received. The complaint stated that Ree used the victim’s name when she went to Geisinger, in an effort to deceive Capital Blue Cross into paying for Ree’s medical treatment. Ree was charged with one count of Insurance Fraud (F3), one count of Identity Theft (F3), and one count of Criminal Attempt / Theft by Deception (F3). |
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 On May 4, 2023, Dominique Brown was arrested in Franklin County. According to the complaint, on March 14, 2022, Brown used his cellular telephone to file a claim on his USAA Insurance renter’s policy for damage to his iPad. The complaint further stated that Brown submitted photographs and documentation to the insurer in support of his claim. On March 22, 2022, investigators allegedly reviewed the photos, as well as a receipt from Asurion phone insurance, and observed that the photo of the damaged iPad did not match the description of the device that Brown had reported. Further, investigators noted that the photos allegedly contained no metadata to indicate when the photos were taken. The complaint also stated that investigators determined that the photo that Brown submitted to USAA was actually a stock photo located on the internet. According to the complaint, USAA asked Brown to provide additional proof of the original purchase of the damaged device, credit card statements and serial numbers for the damaged and replacement devices, and the Asurion claim number. USAA allegedly did not receive any additional documents from Brown and was unable to contact him further. The claim was denied by USAA. Brown was charged with one count of Insurance Fraud (F3), one count of Criminal Use of Communication Facility (F3), and one count of Criminal Attempt / Theft by Deception (M1). |
 On May 4, 2023, Kevin Mickles-Smith was arrested in Philadelphia County. According to the complaint, on March 18, 2022, Mickles-Smith purchased an automobile insurance policy with Esurance for a 2017 Kia Optima. On April 22, 2022, Mickles-Smith allegedly submitted a claim electronically to Esurance for fire damage to his Optima. The complaint stated that in his “Affidavit of Vehicle Fire” received by Esurance on April 22, Mickles-Smith represented that the vehicle had no engine problems prior to the fire. However, investigators allegedly discovered that the 2017 Optima was serviced in February 2022, and that the service personnel had advised Mickles-Smith at the time that his vehicle’s blown engine needed to be replaced. According to the complaint, the auto body shop presented investigators with detailed documentation of communications between the shop and Mickles-Smith, confirming that Mickles-Smith was aware of the condition of his vehicle. The claim was denied. Mickles-Smith was charged with one count of Insurance Fraud (F3), one count of Insurance Fraud (M1), one count of Criminal Attempt / Theft by Deception (F3), one count of Criminal Use of a Communication Facility (F3), and one count of Perjury (F3). |
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 On May 3, 2023, Skylar McLeod was arrested in Allegheny County. According to the complaint, on April 8, 2022, McLeod’s Progressive Insurance automobile policy lapsed. On June 13, 2022, McLeod allegedly purchased a Progressive Insurance policy for his 2016 Hyundai Sonata, which included comprehensive and collision coverage. According to the complaint, when McLeod purchased the policy, he signed a statement of no loss, indicating that his vehicle had not been damaged or involved in any accidents during the coverage lapse period. The complaint stated that on June 23, 2022, McLeod filed a claim in which he reported that he had been operating the Sonata on June 21, 2023, when at approximately 10:30 PM, his car was run off the road by another vehicle. McLeod allegedly claimed that his car then struck a curb, damaging the Sonata’s passenger side tires and wheels and rendering the car inoperable. The complaint stated that McLeod told Progressive that police did not respond to the accident scene, but that he had a local tow company take the Sonata to his house. According to the complaint, McLeod stated that the vehicle was towed to a body shop the following day. However, the investigation allegedly revealed that the North Versailles Police Department came upon McLeod’s disabled Hyundai Sonata on June 10, 2022, at 12:28 AM. The complaint stated that the car was not drivable, so the police requested Allmor Towing to remove the vehicle from the roadway. The tow company allegedly confirmed that the request was received at 12:41 AM on June 10. Progressive determined that the accident occurred during McLeod’s lapse in coverage and denied his claim. McLeod was charged with one count of Insurance Fraud (F3) and one count of Criminal Attempt / Theft by Deception (M1). |
 On May 2, 2023, Bradd Fazenbaker was arrested in Bedford County. According to the complaint, on December 6, 2022, at 3:44 PM, Fazenbaker added his 2008 Jeep Grand Cherokee to his existing USAA Insurance vehicle policy. On December 7, Fazenbaker allegedly called USAA and reported that his 2008 Jeep Grand Cherokee caught fire as he was driving home from his mother’s house on December 7. The complaint stated that Fazenbaker placed a 911 call at 3:41 PM to report the vehicle fire. The Breezewood Volunteer Fire Department and the Pennsylvania State Police responded to the scene. According to the complaint, Fazenbaker told USAA that the vehicle caught fire after he added the Cherokee to his existing policy. During a recorded interview, Fazenbaker allegedly advised USAA that the fire occurred on December 6, and said that the tow company removed his vehicle from the scene on December 7. However, the 911 call log allegedly revealed that the call came in at 3:41 PM on December 6, before Fazenbaker added the Jeep Grand Cherokee to his USAA policy. USAA denied the claim. Fazenbaker was charged with one count of Insurance Fraud (F3) and one count of Criminal Attempt / Theft by Deception (F3). |
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 On May 2, 2023, Darell and Holly Hamm were arrested in Adams County. According to the complaint, the couple purchased stand-alone health care policies from Highmark under the Affordable Care Act. Between January 2020 and March 2022, the Hamms allegedly made a total of thirty-eight premium payments to Highmark, all of which were returned by the bank for insufficient funds, or because the Hamms’ accounts had been closed. According to the complaint, Highmark processed and paid the medical claims for the Ha mms, which totaled approximately $223,307.08. The complaint stated that the aforementioned amount included claim payments for invalid insurance totaling $112,988.82, prescription drug claim payments totaling $264.92, and $110,052.34 in unpaid premiums. Highmark allegedly mailed correspondence to the Hamms on multiple occasions over the two-year period, but never received any response. The Hamms were each charged with one count of Insurance Fraud (F3), one count of Criminal Conspiracy / Insurance Fraud (F3), one count of Theft by Deception (F2), one count of Criminal Conspiracy / Theft by Deception (F2), one count of Bad Checks (F3), and one count of Insurance Fraud / Conspiracy (F3). |
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 On May 25, 2023, Stephen Pinto was sentenced in Lancaster County after entering a negotiated plea to one count of Insurance Fraud (M1). Pinto was the owner of a used car dealership in Lancaster, which was insured under an Erie Insurance dealership policy that included coverage for ten dealer plates. On May 22, 2021, a vehicle displaying a PA dealer plate registered to Pinto’s dealership struck a Mercedes Benz in the Bronx, New York. Erie received an accident claim for damage to the Mercedes, which was deemed to be a total loss. Erie settled the claim for more than $33,000.00. When Erie contacted Pinto about the claim, he denied having any knowledge of the accident or of the driver of the vehicle that displayed his dealership’s plate. Further, Pinto could not explain why one of his dealer plates was on that vehicle. Erie canceled the dealership policy for non-payment in July 2021. Pinto was sentenced to five years of probation. He was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $33,677.26, and to pay costs of prosecution. Pinto’s supervision will be transferred to New York. |
 On May 8, 2023, Shanita Pickens was sentenced in Dauphin County after entering a negotiated plea to one count of Insurance Fraud (M1) and one count of Criminal Attempt / Theft by Deception (M1). On August 16, 2021, Pickens’ Progressive Insurance policy covering her 2017 Chevrolet Equinox was canceled for non-payment. Pickens used Progressive’s mobile app to reinstate the policy on August 24, 2021, at 2:10 PM. During the reinstatement process, Pickens told the insurer that the vehicle had no prior damage and had not been involved in any accidents during the lapse in coverage, which extended from August 16 to August 24, 2021. At 11:36 AM on August 29, Pickens reported to Progressive that her vehicle was damaged in a hit-and-run accident, which occurred at approximately 3:00 AM that day. On August 30, GEICO contacted Progressive investigators and advised that a vehicle owned by a GEICO policyholder had been involved in an accident with a vehicle driven by Pickens. According to GEICO, the crash occurred at 3:00 AM on August 21, 2021, and both drivers exchanged information at the accident scene. GEICO’s insured driver claimed that Pickens said that she needed to retrieve her driver’s license from a friend’s house and left the accident scene but did not return. Metadata from text messages exchanged between Pickens and the other driver on the evening of the accident confirmed that the crash occurred on August 21, 2021, during Pickens’ lapse in coverage. Pickens was sentenced to concurrent terms of 12 months of probation. She was ordered to pay $25.00 on each count, and a civil penalty of $300.00 to IFPA. |
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 On May 3, 2023, Denever Hall was sentenced in Dauphin County after entering a negotiated plea to one count of Insurance Fraud (M1) and one count of Criminal Attempt / Theft by Deception (M1). Hall completed a Progressive Insurance application for coverage of his 2016 Lexus IS3 on June 3, 2021. On November 12, 2021, Hall was involved in a vehicle accident in Brooklyn, New York. He then filed a claim with Progressive. During an interview with the insurer, Hall stated that the accident had occurred in New York and that his NY driver’s license reflected his mother’s address, where he sometimes stayed. Investigators found that Hall’s New York driver’s license was issued on June 24, 2019, and that Hall had provided a fictitious address and insurance information to PennDOT when he registered his Lexus in PA on March 20, 2021. Investigators obtained a copy of a Certificate of Title from PennDOT, which listed Hall as the owner of the 2016 Lexus IS3. Hall was sentenced to serve concurrent terms of 6 months of probation, ordered to pay a civil penalty of $250.00, and a fine. Hall’s supervision was ordered to be transferred to New York. |
 On May 3, 2023, Treyvonne Milam was sentenced in Montgomery County after entering a negotiated plea to one count of Insurance Fraud (F3). On March 2, 2021, Milam was driving his 2018 Nissan Rogue when it was involved in an accident with two other vehicles. Milam told a police officer at the scene that he had been driving the Nissan, and he provided the officer with the name of a passenger who fled the scene of the accident. The officer issued several citations to Milam. Milam’s vehicle was determined to be a total loss and was towed to a salvage yard. Weeks later, Freedom Credit Company contacted Milam’s insurer, NJM Insurance Group, seeking more than $17,000.00 in finance payments owed by Milam for the purchase of his Nissan Rogue. During a recorded interview with NJM, Milam denied owning or operating the Nissan when the accident occurred. NJM paid Freedom Credit $17,372.00 for the past due loan payments and paid $4,000.00 to the salvage yard where the Nissan had been stored since the accident. Milam was sentenced to serve two years of probation, concurrent to an unrelated sentence of probation. Milam was ordered to pay all costs. |
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 On May 2, 2023, Ahmed Alhaj was sentenced in Dauphin County after entering a negotiated plea to one count of Insurance Fraud (F3). Alhaj purchased an automobile policy from Progressive Insurance on April 5, 2021. On April 30, Alhaj reported to the insurer that his covered vehicle was struck by a hit-and-run driver while the vehicle was parked in front of his home on April 26, 2021. However, an investigation revealed that the damage occurred before Alhaj had purchased his automobile policy. Alhaj was sentenced to serve three to twelve months in prison, which is to run concurrent with an unrelated sentence. He was also ordered to pay a fine of $250.00. |
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Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition (ARD)
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During the month of May, 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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