Man Staged Theft of His Own Vehicle for Insurance Money

A New York man admitted he staged the theft of his own car in order to collect on his insurance funds

Jonathan D. Martinelli pled guilty in May to a charge of third-degree insurance fraud in Union County Superior Court in Elizabeth, New Jersey and was sentenced to probation last week, according to Union County Prosecutor William A. Daniel.

Daniel said the case began with a referral from the Elizabeth Police Department due to discrepancies in a stolen vehicle report filed by Martinelli in November 2023.

According to the investigation, Martinelli was unable to afford his monthly payments on his 2016 Land Rover and paid an individual $700 to stage its theft.

The investigators determined that on November 9, 2023, Martinelli parked his vehicle at the Jersey Gardens Mall in Elizabeth, hid the keys in a prearranged spot, and then left. Several unknown individuals later retrieved the keys and drove away in the vehicle. Shortly after the staged theft, the vehicle was used in multiple armed robberies in Essex County.

Martinelli subsequently filed a stolen vehicle claim with his auto insurance company. He also filed a secondary claim, alleging that the vehicle contained recently purchased high-end electronics, clothing, and jewelry valued at $5,680.

His criminal conduct was discovered by law enforcement before any of his fraudulent claims were paid by the auto insurance company, according to prosecutors.

Topics Auto Fraud