Nassau County D.A. Indicts Two for Insurance Fraud

Nassau County District Attorney Denis Dillon and the New York State Insurance Department announced that Richard Dean, 43, of Uniondale and Christopher Lomando, 38, of Long Beach had both been indicted on felony counts in separate instances of insurance fraud.

Dean claimed injuries for a slip and fall accident at Waldbaum’s Supermarket in East Meadow. He filed suit for $1 million alleging serious injuries, but store cameras had caught Dean spilling fabric softener on the floor where he said he had fallen, and 11days later cameras caught him helping to lift a refrigerator.

Lomando claimed he injured himself while working as an auto mechanic, and that he was totally disabled and unable to work, but an investigation by the State Insurance Fund produced videotape and photographic evidence that he had in fact continued working, and captured him performing a number of strenuous tasks.

NYSID head Gregory V. Serio said that the increased efforts the Department has made to reduce fraud in workers’ compensation cases was having a positive effect, with costs having declined “by nearly 40 percent” since 1996.

Dillon indicated that “Rip-offs like these victimize not only the affected businesses and government agencies. The costs are ultimately passed on to consumers, who end up paying higher prices and increased insurance rates to offset the losses that result from these thefts.”|”nassau, county, d.a., indicts, two, insurance, fraud, , october, 11,, 2001, nassau, county, district, attorney, denis, dillon, new, york, state, insurance, department, announced, that, richard, dean,, 43,, of, uniondale, christopher, lomando,, 38,, of, long, beach, had, both, been, indicted, on, felony, counts, in, separate, instances, of, insurance, fraud., dean, claimed, injuries, slip, fall, accident, waldbaum’s, supermarket, in, east, meadow., he, filed, suit, $1, million, alleging, serious, injuries,, but, store, cameras, had, caught, dean, spilling, fabric, softener, on, floor, where, he, said, he, had, fallen,, 11days, later, cameras, caught, him, helping, lift, refrigerator., lomando, claimed, he, injured, himself, while, working, an, auto, mechanic,, that, he, was, totally, disabled, unable, work,, but, an, investigation, by, state, insurance, fund, produced, videotape, photographic, evidence, that, he, had, in, fact, continued, working,, captured, him, performing, number, of, strenuous, tasks., nysid, head, gregory, v., serio, said, that, increased, efforts, department, has, made, reduce, fraud, in, workers’, compensation, cases, was, having, positive, effect,, with, costs, having, declined, by, nearly, 40, percent, since, 1996., dillon, indicated, that, rip-offs, like, these, victimize, not, only, affected, businesses, government, agencies., costs, are, ultimately, passed, on, consumers,, who, end, up, paying, higher, prices, increased, insurance, rates, offset, losses, that, result, from, these, thefts.,

Topics Fraud