Latest Fraud Headlines

All the headlines from our Fraud Topic Page, ordered by recency.

Fla. ‘No-Fault’ to Sunset, CFO Urges Legislators to Act

Sep 18 2007 // Florida Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink sent a letter to Gov. Charlie Crist, Senate President Ken Pruitt, House Speaker Marco Rubio and other legislative leaders urging legislative action to either reform Florida’s...

Second N.C. Arrest Made in Alleged Disability Insurance Fraud Case

Sep 17 2007 // North Carolina Insurance Commissioner Jim Long announced the arrest of an Archdale man charged with one count of obtaining property by false pretense. Department investigators arrested Billy George Flynt, 47, on Sept. 13...

S.D. Agent Pleads Guilty to Fraud

Sep 17 2007 // Sioux Falls. S.D. insurance agent Paul Wentzlaff is accused of stealing from two elderly clients and has pleaded guilty to embezzlement and fraud. He could face up to 20 years in prison. Don Srstka, a special assistant...

Honolulu Agent’s License Suspended for Misrepresentation, Fraud

Sep 14 2007 // Hawaii Chief Deputy Insurance Commissioner Gordon Ito has filed for the immediate suspension and a notice to revoke the producer license of Mark K. Teruya for misrepresentation, deceptive acts and fraud. Teruya is...

La. Commissioner Promotes Anti-Auto Theft Curriculum in Schools

Sep 11 2007 // A new public awareness program designed to educate middle and high school students about the consequences of auto theft is underway in Louisiana’s public and private schools this year, according to Commissioner of...

2 Miss. Men Face Sentencing in December for Katrina Fraud

Sep 10 2007 // Two south Mississippi men will be sentenced in December for making false claims for Hurricane Katrina relief, officials said. Danny Gene Hale will be sentenced Dec. 4 on six counts of fraud. Hale was convicted on Sept. 5...

W. Va. Insurance Agent Sentenced on Fraud Charges

Sep 7 2007 // A Harrison County, W. Va.court sentenced an insurance agent earlier this week for forging insurance documents for customers and keeping the money they paid for their premiums. Frank Crowder Jr., 47, of Morgantown, W. Va.,...

12 Charged with Claims Fraud from 2004 Casino Bus Crash in Pa.

Sep 6 2007 // Twelve people have been charged in Pennsylvania with insurance fraud in a 2004 casino bus crash that authorities allege was staged so the passengers could cash in by filing bogus injury claims. The crash occurred on April...

Mich. Auto Parts Maker Delphi Announces Settlement of Fraud Lawsuit

Sep 4 2007 // Struggling auto parts maker Delphi Corp. announced on Friday, Aug. 31 that there is a settlement of lawsuits by investors who have accused the company’s former managers of fraud. The plaintiffs, including about...

Everett Man Who Faked Hate Crime Gets Three Years for Arson

Sep 4 2007 // A man who admitted torching a friend’s grocery store in Everett, Wash., in a plan by the two to collect insurance and make the fire look like a hate crime has been sentenced to three years in prison. Naveed Khan, 25,...

N.C. Man Enters Plea Agreement on Insurance Fraud Charge

Aug 31 2007 // West Virginia Insurance Commissioner, Jane L. Cline, announced today that Nathan James Sigmon pleaded guilty last week to one felony count of conspiracy to commit insurance fraud. Sigmon, age 24 of Newton, N.C., was...

Florida Woman Charged with Selling Fake Insurance Cards

Aug 31 2007 // Florida Division of Insurance Fraud officials arrested a Tampa woman who allegedly sold fraudulent automobile coverage insurance cards. Margaret Stillings, 49, who was doing business at 4170 E. Hillsborough Ave., was...

U.S. Mine Industry Worried About Thefts of Emergency Air Packs

Aug 31 2007 // Underground coal miners in the United States are facing a new and apparently growing safety threat: the theft of emergency air packs. Authorities say the devices have been disappearing from mines, particularly in the state...

Texas’ July Enforcement Actions Result in $1.2M in Fines, Restitution

Aug 30 2007 // The Texas Department of Insurance announced enforcement actions taken by Commissioner Mike Geeslin that became final during July. The actions include seven license revocations, a license denial and fines and restitution...

Benson, N.C., Resident Arrested on Insurance Fraud Charges

Aug 28 2007 // North Carolina Officials arrested and charged a Benson man with fraudulently burning a dwelling, burning personal property and obtaining property by false pretense. Franklin Lee Hollis, 68, of 3394 Woods Crossroads Rd.,...

W. Va. Man Jailed on Insurance Fraud Charge

Aug 28 2007 // A West Virginia man who previously pleaded guilty to one felony count of insurance fraud, is in a regional jail for committing insurance fraud, according to Insurance Commissioner, Jane L. Cline. Cline said Bradley...

Former N.D. Agent Pleads Not Guilty to Fraud Charges

Aug 28 2007 // A former insurance agent accused of defrauding investors in at least three states out of about $4 million has pleaded not guilty to 38 counts in North Dakota. David Skjerven, 60, who now lives in Sedona, is accused of...

Fugitive Arrested in $500,000 Auto Fraud Scam

Aug 28 2007 // A Sherman Oaks, Calif., man has been arrested for insurance fraud, grand theft, identity theft, and federal charges, the California Department of Insurance reported. Moshe “Sanny” Assoulin, 35, was arrested in...

Former Wash. Mayor Charged in Fraud Scheme with Slain Trooper

Aug 27 2007 // Detectives investigating the killing of a former state patrol sergeant last year say they learned that he was involved in an insurance scam with another trooper. That second trooper, Douglas Merino, 51 — who is also...

Former New Mexico Insurance Regulator Indicted

Aug 27 2007 // Former New Mexico state insurance regulator Joe Ruiz has been indicted on federal corruption charges for allegedly misusing his office by soliciting payments from insurance companies in exchange for reducing regulatory...