November 21, 2016
Source/Pennsylvania Attorney General's Office
Twenty-one people from the Philadelphia area were charged with insurance fraud.
Twenty-one Philadelphia-area people face criminal charges for alleged insurance fraud following investigations by the Pennsylvania Attorney General's Office.
The criminal charges come after investigations following a November sweep by the office's Insurance Fraud Section. In total, 50 people were charged and the total potential fraud involved in the cases is more than $1.1 million.
Below is a list of the local defendants, the charges filed against them and a description of their alleged criminal acts. The cases are all pending, according to the Attorney General's Office, which announced the charges Monday:
Jano J. Thottumkal, 45, of the 2600 block of Virginia Drive, Jamison, is charged with one count each of insurance fraud, criminal use of a communication facility, unlawful use of a computer and criminal attempt to commit theft by deception, in addition to a separate count of insurance fraud. According to investigators, Thottumkal made false representations to Progressive Insurance. Thottumkal reportedly obtained an insurance policy from Progressive in August 2015. Roughly two weeks after obtaining the policy, Thottumkal called the insurance company to report that he had been involved in an accident the day before his call. An investigation confirmed the accident actually occurred before Thottumkal obtained the insurance policy through Progressive, according to investigators.
David G. Miller III, 32, of the 6200 block of Mount Pleasant Road, Honey Brook, is charged with one count each of insurance fraud and criminal attempt to commit theft by deception. According to a criminal complaint filed in support of the charges, Miller's automobile was uninsured when he was involved in an accident on June 6. After the accident, he called Allstate Insurance Company to obtain coverage. Later, he provided a recorded statement to the insurance company in which he allegedly claimed the accident had occurred after he obtained the insurance policy.
Charles Adams, 42, and Donna L. Smith, 59, both of the 900 block of Madison St., Coatesville, are both charged with one count each of insurance fraud, criminal attempt to commit theft by deception and criminal conspiracy. Adams is also charged with an additional count of insurance fraud. According to investigators, Adams and Smith, his mother-in-law, both made misrepresentations to Safe Auto Insurance regarding the timing of an accident that occurred in December 2015. Smith was reportedly driving Adams' vehicle when she was involved in a multi-vehicle accident. Adams allegedly called Safe Auto Insurance after the accident occurred to obtain an insurance policy. Roughly three hours after obtaining the policy, Adams called to report the accident involving his mother-in-law, according to investigators. Both Adams and Smith allegedly provided statements to the insurance company that the accident occurred before the policy went into effect. However, an investigation that included interviews with the other drivers involved in the crash confirmed their statements were false.
Kellie Jemison, 38, of the 1100 block of E. Lincoln Hwy., Coatesville, is charged with one count each of insurance fraud, criminal use of a communication facility and criminal attempt to commit theft by deception, in addition to one separate count of insurance fraud. According to investigators, Jemison in February filed a claim through Safe Auto Insurance Company, her automobile insurance carrier, related to an accident that occurred the previous June. Further investigation confirmed that the accident occurred before Jemison's policy took effect. Jemison is accused of providing false information in the fraudulent claim that she made to her insurance company.
Samuel Mansary, 34, of the 200 block of Beverly Blvd., Upper Darby, is charged with one count each of insurance fraud, theft by deception and criminal use of a communication facility. An investigation showed that Mansary was listed as the second driver of a vehicle that was rented in September 2015 from Hertz Rental Car Company. After the vehicle was involved in an accident in Abington Township, Mansary called Geico Insurance Company, claiming that he was the driver of the vehicle at the time the accident occurred. Geico later issued a payment of more than $10,000 for repairs to the rental car. It was later determined that Mansary was not the driver of the vehicle when the accident occurred, investigators alleged in a criminal complaint. It was Mansary's cousin, an unauthorized driver of the rental car, who was reportedly driving at the time of the accident.
Sunita Suresh, 45, of the 700 block of W. Rolling Road, Springfield, is charged with three counts of worker's compensation fraud and one count each of theft by deception and criminal use of a communication facility. According to a criminal complaint filed in support of the charges, Suresh received more than $13,000 in worker's compensation benefits. She claimed that she suffered a concussion in August 2015 when a heater light and metal electric box fell on her head while she was working at Riddle Hospital in Media, Delaware County. The total disability worker's compensation benefits that Suresh received were based on her claim that she was unable to work at any job. However, the investigation revealed that Suresh worked full-time at Penn Presbyterian Hospital in Philadelphia during the time period when she was receiving disability benefits.
Lachell D. Goines, 25, of the 7200 block of Glenthorne Road, Upper Darby, is charged with one count each of insurance fraud, criminal conspiracy to commit insurance fraud, criminal attempt to commit theft and criminal use of a communication facility. Goines' boyfriend was driving her vehicle alone when he was involved in an accident in November 2015. After the accident occurred, Goines falsely told her insurance carrier, Progressive Insurance, that she was driving her vehicle at the time the accident occurred, according to investigators. She is further accused of submitting a false claim for medical benefits and falsely stating that she was injured as the result of the accident, investigators stated in a criminal complaint.
Lisa Somma, 40, of the 200 block of East Township Line Road, Havertown, is charged with one count each of insurance fraud, criminal attempt to commit theft by deception and criminal use of a communication facility. According to a criminal complaint, Somma in September 2015 obtained an automobile insurance policy through Safe Auto Insurance. Four days after obtaining the policy, she filed a claim, stating she had been involved in a two-vehicle accident. An investigation confirmed the accident had in fact occurred before Somma obtained the insurance policy, according to investigators.
Richard E. Williams Jr., 30, of the 900 block of Gilbert Road, Cheltenham, is charged with one count each of insurance fraud, criminal attempt to commit theft by deception, criminal use of a communication facility and a separate count of insurance fraud. Williams' car was damaged in April. He later changed his insurance deductible with Progressive Insurance from $1,000 to $500. After the change to his policy, Williams falsely reported that the damage to his vehicle occurred before the policy was changed, investigators allege.
Antwanette C. Patterson, 31, of the 100 block of N. Bethlehem Pike, Ambler, is charged with one count each of insurance fraud, criminal use of a communication facility and criminal attempt to commit theft by deception, in addition to a separate count of insurance fraud. According to investigators, Patterson in a claim to Progressive Specialty Insurance Company stated that her vehicle was damaged when it struck a deer. However, an investigation confirmed that the accident had actually occurred a day prior to the inception of her policy with Progressive, meaning her claim was allegedly fraudulent.
Jennifer Carter, 30, of the 5300 block of Baynton St., Philadelphia, is charged with one count each of insurance fraud, theft by deception and criminal use of a communication facility. An investigation confirmed that Carter in December 2015 upgraded her automobile insurance policy with Progressive Insurance Company. Roughly 12 hours after the upgrade, which added collision and comprehensive coverage, Carter filed a claim for damage to her sports utility vehicle that she alleged was the result of an accident. Further investigation confirmed that the damage to Carter's vehicle occurred before she called to upgrade her policy. Documents confirmed her vehicle was towed from the scene long before she claimed the accident had occurred, investigators stated in a criminal complaint.
Shawn M. Robinson, 38, of the 2200 block of Lambert St., Philadelphia, is charged with one count each of insurance fraud, criminal attempt to commit theft by deception, criminal use of a communication facility and a separate count of insurance fraud. Robinson in January 2013 called his automobile insurance carrier, Safe Auto Insurance, to add comprehensive and collision coverage to his policy. Roughly three days after adding the additional coverage, Robinson allegedly called his insurance company to report that an unknown vehicle had hit his parked car and caused damage. Further investigation confirmed that an individual had broken into Robinson's vehicle and damaged it the day before Robinson added the additional coverage, meaning Robinson provided a false statement to his insurance carrier, investigators allege.
Yvette G. Jones, 27, of the 4500 block of N. 18th St., Philadelphia, and Sheldon McCall-Jones, 27, of the 1900 block of N. 71st Ave., Philadelphia, are both charged with one count each of insurance fraud, attempted theft by deception and criminal conspiracy. An investigation confirmed that McCall-Jones in September 2015 was involved in an automobile accident with a Philadelphia police vehicle. During an initial recorded statement that he provided to his insurance carrier, Access Insurance Company, McCall-Jones stated that he was alone in the vehicle at the time of the accident. However, during a second interview, he claimed that Yvette Jones, his aunt, was a passenger in the vehicle at the time of the accident. Yvette Jones through her attorney sent a letter to the insurance company claiming she had suffered injuries in the accident. The investigation revealed that the false report was made in an effort to obtain money from the insurance company, investigators allege.
Theresa Bush, 56, of the 1600 block of W. York St., Philadelphia, is charged with one count each of insurance fraud, criminal attempt to commit theft by deception, criminal use of a communication facility and a separate count of insurance fraud. Bush in July 2014 was involved in an automobile accident in Philadelphia at a time when her vehicle was uninsured. After the accident occurred, Bush allegedly contacted Safe Auto Insurance to reinstate the insurance policy on her vehicle. She later provided a false statement in which she misstated the time of the accident in an effort to receive insurance benefits for a purported injury that she suffered, investigators stated in a criminal complaint.
Luigi Rodriguez, 24, of the 1600 block of E. Hunting Park Ave., Philadelphia, is charged with one count each of insurance fraud, criminal attempt to commit theft by deception and criminal use of a communication facility, in addition to a separate count of insurance fraud. Rodriguez in January got into an automobile accident after his vehicle's insurance policy expired due to lack of payment. An investigation confirmed that Rodriguez called Progressive Insurance to reinstate the policy. At the time the policy was reinstated, Rodriguez said that he had not been involved in any recent accidents, according to investigators. The day after the policy was reinstated, Rodriguez reportedly called Progressive again to report that he had been in an accident. The investigation confirmed that the reported accident had actually occurred before Rodriguez called to reinstate his policy, investigators stated in a criminal complaint.
Maya Bennett, 29, of the 1000 block of Cambridge St., Philadelphia, is charged with one count each of insurance fraud, theft by deception, criminal use of a communication facility and criminal attempt to commit theft by deception. According to investigators, Bennett was part of a group that shoplifted items valued at more than $3,000 from stores in Montgomery County. As she fled in a vehicle from the scene where the shoplifting occurred, Bennett drove at a high rate of speed, striking two other cars and causing her own vehicle to flip over. Bennett, who pleaded guilty to various crimes in connection with the shoplifting and the accident she caused, pursued an automobile insurance claim through her policy with Erie Insurance Company. Investigators alleged that she made a series of false statements to the insurance company regarding the circumstances of the accident she was involved in. For example, she is accused of falsely denying that she was the driver of the car. She allegedly did this in an effort to obtain insurance benefits to which she was not entitled.
Anthony Reid, 33, of the 1900 block of Carpenter St., Philadelphia, is charged with one count each of insurance fraud, criminal attempt to commit theft by deception and criminal use of a communication facility. According to investigators, Reid was involved in an automobile accident in April when his vehicle was uninsured. He is accused of providing a false statement to his prior insurance carrier, Safe Auto Insurance, regarding the date the accident occurred. It is alleged that he provided this information in an attempt to have the insurance company pay for damages caused by the accident.
Nathaniel Shoatz, 30, currently incarcerated at SCI — Camp Hill, is charged with one count each of insurance fraud, criminal attempt to commit theft by deception, forgery and criminal conspiracy. According to investigators, Shoatz claimed that he lost property valued at more than $35,000 during a burglary at the Philadelphia apartment where he said he was living. He allegedly submitted fraudulent receipts to Travelers Insurance Company to support this claim, saying furs and clothing were among the items stolen.
John Ackley, 41, of Laurel Springs, N.J., is charged with three counts of worker's compensation fraud and one count of theft by deception. Ackley claimed that he was injured in September 2010 when he was working for a Philadelphia company. As a result of his alleged total disability, Ackley received payments of more than $70,000 in lost wages benefits and more than $80,000 in medical payments from the Pennsylvania State Workers Insurance Fund. An investigation determined that Ackley was in fact working other jobs during the time he received the disability benefits, according to investigators. He is also accused of providing false documentation to the State Workers Insurance Fund in which he claimed that he was unemployed during the time he was receiving the benefits. Ackley is a fugitive at this time.
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In 1990, the state legislature made insurance fraud a serious crime in Pennsylvania, punishable by heavy fines and stiff prison sentences.
In 1994, legislation was enacted in Pennsylvania establishing the Insurance Fraud Prevention Authority (IFPA) and a Fraud Trust Fund. All insurance companies authorized to transact business in Pennsylvania pay an annual assessment into the fund. The funds provide financial support to the Office of Attorney General's Insurance Fraud Section and other law enforcement agencies to support insurance fraud investigations and prosecutions.
Private citizens can report allegations of insurance fraud using an online form or by calling the IFPA's hotline at 1-888-565-IFPA (4372).
Consumers with a complaint involving an insurance company that does not involve fraud should contact the Pennsylvania Insurance Department at 1-877-881-6388 or the Attorney General's Bureau of Consumer Protection at 1-800-441-2555.
