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The number of arrests suspects charged by the District Attorney’s Insurance Fraud Unit for 1997 has already surpassed 200. Included in the numbers are arrests for workers’ compensation fraud, tag agency fraud, public adjuster fraud, financial responsibility fraud, accident claim fraud, health care fraud, homeowner’s insurance fraud and insurance agent fraud.
The latest six arrests, all residents of Philadelphia, include:
QUANA HENCE is charged with Insurance Fraud, Attempted Theft by Deception and Conspiracy. It is alleged that Hence allowed a friend to drive her father’s uninsured Mazda and that the friend had a collision in the vehicle. After the accident, Hence obtained insurance on the car, reported it stolen, recovered it damaged and filed a claim with State Farm Insurance Company to pay for the $10,000 collision damage which occurred prior to the purchase of the policy.
JOSEPH JONES of Philadelphia is charged with Insurance Fraud and Attempted Theft by Deception. It is alleged that after a car accident Jones filed a claim against State Farm Insurance Company stating that he was a passenger in one of the cars and injured his neck and back. It is further alleged that Jones submitted$1,278 in medical bills in support of his claim and demanded$18,000 to settle the case. Subsequent investigation revealed that both the driver and passenger of the car Jones claimed to be in had no idea who Jones was.
RHONDA SMITH of Philadelphia is charged with Attempted Insurance Fraud, Attempted Theft by Deception, and False Swearing. It is alleged that after a snowstorm in February 1995, Smith fell in front of a condemned property. It is further alleged that Smith subsequently changed the site of the fall, stating that she fell on the property next door so that she could file a claim for injuries against that homeowner in the amount of $50,000.
AURLEEN CAMPBELL is charged with Insurance Fraud (five counts), Forgery (five counts), and Theft by Deception. It is alleged that Campbell, over a 3year period, submitted 155 false claims for payment to Blue Cross for medical treatments supposedly provided by five different doctors. It is alleged that those treatments were never provided and that Campbell forged the doctors’ names on the bills submitted to Blue Cross. Campbell fraudulently received over $6,300 in payments using the forged bills.
AARON LIVELY is charged with Insurance Fraud, Attempted Theft by Deception, and False Reports to Law Enforcement Authorities. It is alleged that after an auto accident, Lively approached a Police Officer responding to the accident and claimed to have been a passenger in one of the vehicles. Both drivers and a passenger involved in the accident all stated that Lively was not in either car. Despite this, Lively filed a claim with Harleysville Insurance Company submitting medical bills for treatment of his feigned injuries.
ALIDA MIRARCHI is charged with Insurance Fraud, Forgery, Theft and Related Offenses. It is alleged that Mirarchi, over a two year period, submitted over 160 false reimbursement claims totaling close to $12,000 to Independence Blue Cross for medical treatments supposedly provided by six different doctors. Subsequent investigation revealed that these treatments were never provided and that Mirarchi falsified the bills and submitted them to Blue Cross. It is alleged that Mirarchi received over $5,000 in payments using the falsified bills.
Then there’s the Office of the Attorney General in Pennsylvania. They’ve also been especially busy, bagging 26 suspects in a single week. Among those arrested are:
DAVID CROWL of State College and his wife, MELANIE CROWL. The affidavits allege that as the couple were leaving a party in early 1996, David saw a patch of ice on the sidewalk, laid down, and had his wife call an ambulance so that he could file a fraudulent personal injury claim. He also offered another woman$500 to support his claim that he slipped on the ice.
CYNTHIA DiGIROLAMO of Drexel Hill is alleged to have submitted$15,056 in fraudulent pharmacy bills.
DENNI, DONNA and KELLY Holmes and LEE J. HEUER of Franklin and RICHARD E. PRAHL of Oil City have been charged with attempting to defraud their insurance company of more than $300,000 by intentionally flooding the house by breaking a water pipe in the house and letting it run open for days. Then they allegedly filed a claim under their homeowners’ policy.
GARY WILLIS of Gilbertsville, a deliveryman, filed a $6,500claim with Nationwide Insurance Company stating that he injured his ankle at work. One the same day he is alleged to have filed a fraudulent wage loss reimbursement claim with State Farm Insurance, stating that he injured his ankle while getting out of his personal automobile.
JOHN WOODRING JR. of York, an insurance agent for Mutual of New York, is alleged to have obtained approximately $120,000 from two clients with the promise of high yield investments. The affidavit alleges that Woodring deposited the money into his personal bank account and converted the funds for his personal use and benefit.
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