Druggist Sentenced to 180 Days in Jail for Insurance Fraud

A pharmacist was sentenced yesterday to 180 days in jail for submitting fraudulent prescriptions to an insurance company to collect more than $80,000.

William Schobert, 50, of Wellington Drive in Lumberton pleaded guilty in June to a single count of health-care claims fraud.

Parents Unintentionally Committing Insurance Fraud

Thousands of British parents and even grandparents are unwittingly committing insurance fraud as their kids drive off to university in a car primarily insured for mum and dad, or grandma and granddad, with teenage children paying the penalty.

New research from Zurich Insurance reveals that one in 10 people surveyed (nine per cent) who’ve helped their child or grandchild buy a car currently has it insured in their own name – with many not realising that they could be breaking the law in doing so.

A staggering 68 percent of those who have insured the car in their own name admitted they did it primarily to help reduce premiums – as experienced drivers tend to pay lower insurance premiums than their young relatives, while a fifth (19 per cent) mistakenly believe the car should be insured in their name because they legally own it.

Attorney General Accuses Two Men of Insurance Fraud

Felony charges were filed in Oklahoma County District Court in Oklahoma City today against two Texans accused of insurance fraud in Oklahoma

Attorney General Drew Edmondson says the charges against Jimmy Warren Wolff of Arlington and Rodney Williams of Fort Worth include conspiracy, racketeering and filing a false financial statement.

Neb. Man Sentenced for Charging Insurers for Bogus Auto Glass Repairs

The Nebraska Department of Insurance announced earlier this month that James Almond III, dba Viking Glass, was sentenced by District Court Judge Thomas Otepka on three felony counts of insurance fraud.

Almond had been accused of submitting bogus invoices for auto glass repair and replacement to 10 different property and casualty insurance companies. The activity is alleged to have occurred over several years resulting in a loss of $54,913.29. In all, 85 cases have been identified in which Almond is accused of submitting bogus invoices on behalf of consumers to the companies and/or their third-party administrators for payment.

State Searches for More Victims of Alleged Insurance Fraud

The Iowa Insurance Division has received 33 specific complaints and inquiries concerning a former Clear Lake insurance agent whose license has been revoked.

There is the potential for dozens of additional complaints, officials said.

The insurance license of Jack Straw of Cedar Rapids was revoked on Sept. 28. His company, known as Benefit Services Corp., had offices in Waterloo and Clear Lake.

Sting Operation Leads to Insurance Fraud Arrest

KFDM News was on the scene as Beaumont police arrested a 26 year old motel general manager accused of insurance fraud.

The man is from India and is in the U.S. on a green card. He was arrested at about 2:30 p.m. Thursday on accusation of Insurance Fraud, a 2nd Degree Felony.

2 from N.C. Arrested on Numerous Charges of Insurance Fraud

North Carolina officials arrested two individuals on charges of insurance fraud and automobile title fraud this week.

Andrea Martinez Hernandez, 33, and Octavio Telles Segura, 30, allegedly share three Elizabeth City, N.C., addresses but are believed to actually reside in the Salisbury, Md., area.

Clinic Workers Charged With Fabricating Phony Accident

Three former employees of a now-defunct Essex Street chiropractic clinic that was once the top moneymaker in the state are among nine people charged with fabricating a three-car crash nearly five years ago.

Janet Jimenez, who worked several years as a doctor's assistant at Lawrence Back and Neck, has admitted to police that the diagram she faxed her insurance agent from the clinic's office shortly before 3 a.m. on Nov. 8, 2002, was a scam to make money, police said.

Norman Woman Sentenced for Fraud to Obtain FEMA Funds

John C. Richter, United States Attorney for the Western District of Oklahoma, announced that Helen Marie Wheeler, 41, of Norman, was sentenced yesterday to serve five years probation for making false statements to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to obtain Hurricane Katrina disaster relief funds. In addition, United States District Judge Joe Heaton also ordered Wheeler to pay restitution of $17,540.12 to FEMA and perform 104 hours of community service.

Area CPA Sentenced in Fraud Case

A former Dallas-area CPA was sentenced to more than 27 years in prison, in connection with insurance fraud.

Robert David Neal pleaded guilty in April to six counts of wire fraud, the U.S. Attorney's Office said.

Dentist Withdraws Plea Deal

The Farrell dentist had reached a plea agreement with the state Attorney General’s Office to plead guilty to insurance fraud and acquiring a drug by fraud as part of an investigation that Dr. Lowe and three former employees obtained Hydrocodone with medical insurance and funneled the drug to her.

But, the deal went south when Dr. Lowe, 47, of 1801 Roemer Blvd., Farrell, learned that the plea agreement, which included a felony drug charge, would result in a 10-year suspension of her dentistry license by the State Dental Board, according to court documents filed by her attorney, Joshua D. Lock of Harrisburg.

Dabash Agrees to Plea Bargain

Just days before jury selection was set to begin in the felony fraud trial of a Macomb doctor, he was convicted of one of the eight felony charges against him.

The balance of the charges against Dr. Khaled Dabash, 45, were dropped as part of an agreement between his attorneys and prosecutors from the Illinois Attorney General's office.

David Wilcox Appears In Court

State prosecutors are looking to have all of the charges against David Wilcox, including insurance fraud, be combined for one trial.

Wilcox is the owner of a truck that lost its brakes and slammed into cars waiting at a light at the mountain's base in 2005. Four people were killed and dozens were seriously injured.

Insurance Agent Guilty of Fraud

An insurance agent accused of stealing more than $400,000 from two elderly clients pleaded guilty Thursday in Minnehaha Circuit Court.

Paul Wentzlaff, 46, of Sioux Falls faces up to 20 years in prison for embezzlement and insurance fraud.

Title Company Owners Charged With Embezzlement

A New Port Richey couple has been arrested on multiple counts of theft of escrow funds and money laundering for allegedly stealing nearly $8 million from their title company escrow accounts.

The charges against John T. Wehlau and Cheryl T. Wehlau, owners and operators of Gulf Coast Title Closings & Escrow Services in New Port Richey, are the result of an investigation by the Department of Financial Services' Division of Insurance Fraud, a statewide law enforcement agency that investigates insurance fraud. The primary victim, Commonwealth Land Title Insurance Co., covered hundreds of home buyers' missing funds.

The Wehlaus are charged with 21 counts of theft of escrow funds, three counts of money laundering and one count of grand theft. If convicted on all of the charges, they could face a sentence of up to 30 years in prison on each count.

Woman Charged in Insurance Fraud

A local health care worker has been indicted on 20 federal wire fraud charges for allegedly billing for more than $242,000 in life insurance screening exams that she never conducted.

Sally Ann Hodge, 49, was supposed to be providing health exams for people applying for life insurance, and submitting her bills to a Colorado company, her indictment says. In return, Hodge received between $30 and $100.

Excellus, IBM Work Together to Fight Fraud

Excellus BlueCross BlueShield and IBM Corp. are working together to fight health care insurance fraud.

IBM’s Risk Identification Analysis Service will be used by Excellus to review pharmacy-related claims to uncover complex schemes, the companies said. Such schemes include collusion, inappropriate billing practices, prescription forging, prescription pad theft and members who engage in “doctor shopping.”

“Someone who knowingly commits insurance fraud is no different than any other person who steals,” said Flora Allen, corporate director of Excellus’ special investigations unit. “Fraud affects everyone’s bottom line, so we aggressively and proactively pursue recoveries and convictions because we are protecting our members’ premiums.”

Construction Worker Charged with Insurance Fraud

A construction worker faces felony charges for insurance fraud after investigators say he withheld medical information during a worker’s compensation claim.

Archie Smiley, 43, was working for a Philadelphia, Miss.-based construction company in June 2006 when he “injured his back while carrying a grinder up a flight of stairs,” according to an Okaloosa County Sheriff’s report.

Fraudbuster Helps Keep Insurance Costs Low

The National Insurance Crime Bureau, a nonprofit group founded by the insurance industry, estimates that insurance fraud costs Americans about $30 billion a year. This equates to $300 in higher insurance premiums for the average household.

“It’s very worthwhile to everybody,” Gajda said. “It helps everybody. It saves money.”
She admitted that devoting her life to investigating insurance scams can make her cynical, especially when fraud is so prevalent. Insurance industry studies indicate that at least 10 percent of claims are fraudulent, she said.

Insurance Fraud Charges Filed In 2004 Bus Crash

Twelve people were charged with insurance fraud Tuesday in a 2004 casino bus crash. Authorities allege the crash in Philadelphia was staged so the passengers could cash in by filing bogus injury claims.