Essex County, New Jersey Man Sentenced for Role in Insurance Fraud Scheme

June 26, 2007 -- TRENTON - New Jersey Criminal Justice Director Gregory A. Paw announced today that an Essex County man has been sentenced for his role in an insurance fraud scheme.

According to Insurance Fraud Prosecutor Greta Gooden Brown, Aaron Bryant Davis, 26, of Irvington, was ordered by Superior Court Judge Siobhan A. Teare in Essex County to serve three years probation and to pay a $750 criminal fine in addition to a $1,500 civil insurance fraud fine. Davis was sentenced yesterday pursuant to his guilty plea to conspiracy and insurance fraud, charges contained in a Feb. 23 Essex County grand jury indictment.

At the May 14 guilty plea hearing, Davis admitted he conspired with Shakira Freeman, 28, of Irvington, and Shafiquah Arrington, 28, of Irvington, to enhance damage to Arrington’s automobile – a 2005 Nissan Altima, which was registered to Freeman – after it was involved in an accident. The car was subsequently reported stolen, and the additional damage was intended to make it appear that it had, in fact, been stolen. A $10,125 insurance claim was submitted to GEICO Insurance Company. The claim was not paid because the insurance company’s investigator questioned it and referred the matter to the Office of Insurance Fraud Prosecutor.

As part of the investigation, Freeman pleaded guilty before Judge Teare on May 14 and was admitted into Pre-Trial Intervention program. The case against Arrington is pending.

State Investigator Franco Cignarella, Civil Investigator Gary Miller and Deputy Attorney General Robert J. Brass were assigned to the investigation. Brass represented the Office of Insurance Fraud Prosecutor at the sentencing.

Prosecutor Brown noted that some important cases have started with anonymous tips. People who are concerned about insurance cheating and have information about a fraud can report it anonymously by calling the toll-free hotline 1-877-55-FRAUD or visiting the Web site www.NJInsuranceFraud.org. State regulations permit an award to be paid to an eligible person who provides information that leads to an arrest, prosecution and conviction for insurance fraud.

The Office of Insurance Fraud Prosecutor was established by the Automobile Insurance Cost Reduction Act of 1998. The office is the centralized state agency that investigates and prosecutes both civil and criminal insurance fraud, as well as Medicaid fraud.

Source: New Jersey Criminal Justice Director

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