HARRISBURG, PA (WPMT) A Lancaster County is 17 individuals across the Commonwealth arrested for a variety of unrelated insurance fraud offenses.
The sweep was the result of investigations by the Office of Attorney General’s Insurance Fraud Section. The arrests announced today involve some of the most common types of insurance fraud.
Joanna C. Adams, 27, 116 Pleasure Road, Lancaster, was arrested on March 4 and charged with one count of insurance fraud and one count of theft by deception. Adams allegedly misrepresented the circumstances of an accident to her insurance company so that it would cover damage to her vehicle.
The 16 other defendants, the charges against them and a description of their alleged criminal acts are listed by region.
Eastern Region:
Ashley Moore, 25, 151 Highview Lane, Effort, Monroe County, was arrested on Feb. 24 and charged with one count of insurance fraud and one count of criminal attempt to commit theft by deception. Following a lapse in her insurance policy, Moore allegedly renewed her policy after getting into a car accident. According to the criminal complaint, she then tried to submit a fraudulent claim stating the accident occurred after she renewed the policy when in fact it occurred when she did not have coverage.
Robert Nichols, 28 and Robin Holloway, 48, 7262 Brous Ave., Philadelphia, were arrested on March 2 and charged with two counts of insurance fraud, one count of criminal conspiracy and one count of criminal attempt to commit theft by deception. Nichols and Holloway allegedly conspired to commit insurance fraud by submitting claims for injury and damages in a car accident in which Nichols was driving alone. Holloway falsely claimed to be the driver and her son, Nichols, falsely claimed to be the passenger.
Doris Rorie, 49, 3118 Haverford Ave., Philadelphia, was arrested on March 3 and charged with one count of insurance fraud. Rorie allegedly misrepresented herself on a credit insurance loan application, stating she was working when in fact she was on medical leave.
Rashad Wyatte, 35, 5649 Angora Terrace, Philadelphia, was arrested on March 3 and charged with two counts of insurance fraud and one count of theft by deception. Wyatte allegedly claimed he was the sole occupant in an accident involving his car, when in fact it was being driven by another person. Wyatte then submitted fraudulent bills for medical treatment.
Sandra Shabazz, 21, 540 S. 2nd St., Darby, Delaware County, was arrested on March 6 and charged with two counts of insurance fraud conspiracy and two counts of criminal attempt to commit theft by deception. Shabazz allegedly misrepresented herself to her insurance company in support of a claim for a car accident she was not involved in.
Central Region
Guy Scott Gruber, 56, 76 N. Dawe Ave., Kingston, Luzerne County, was arrested on March 2 and charged with one count of insurance fraud and one count of theft by deception. Gruber allegedly made a false claim to his insurance company for a cultured pearl double-row bejeweled necklace he reported stolen. An investigation revealed Gruber collected $5,400 from his insurance company and sold the necklace after receiving the payment.
Western Region:
Katina Devenshire, 145 Orchards St., Aliquippa, Beaver County, is charged with one count of insurance fraud and one count of criminal attempt to commit theft by deception. Devenshire allegedly submitted fraudulent claims to her insurance company for injuries she in an accident. She obtained both comprehensive and collision insurance after the accident but the accident actually took place before she received coverage from her insurance company.
Michael Traveny, 33, 402 6th St., Altoona, Blair County, was arrested on March 2 and charged with two counts of insurance fraud and one count of criminal attempt to commit theft by deception. Traveny was involved in a two-car accident but his insurance policy had lapsed. Immediately following the accident, he allegedly contacted his insurance company to obtain another policy, and falsely stated that he had not been involved in any accident within the last three years and that there was no damage to his vehicle.
Amy Martin, 28, 556 Bigelow St., Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, was arrested on March 2 and charged with two counts of insurance fraud and one count of criminal attempt to commit theft by deception. Martin was involved in a two-car accident but her insurance policy had lapsed. Immediately following the accident, she allegedly contacted her insurance company to obtain another policy, and falsely stated that she had not been involved in any accident within the last three years. She then gave the policy number to the other driver in the accident, who attempted to file a claim.
Jim Rochelin, 28, 117 State St., Wilmerding, Allegheny County, was arrested on March 3 and charged with two counts of insurance fraud and one count of criminal attempt to commit theft by deception. Rochelin allegedly submitted false claims for an accident that occurred prior to the time he reinstated his insurance policy.
Tracy Lynn Ayers, 40, 2412 Cronemeyer Ave., Floor #2, McKeesport, Allegheny County, was arrested on March 3 and charged with one count of insurance fraud, one count of criminal attempt to commit theft by deception, one count of identity theft and one count of forgery. According to the criminal complaint, Ayers claimed $1,134 in lost wages as a result of injuries suffered in a car accident. However, she was never employed in the manner in which she represented herself on her insurance company’s wage and salary verification form.
Brett Kronk, 49, Route 88, Berdack Trailer Park, Lot 83, Carmichaels, Greene County, was arrested on March 4 and charged with one count of insurance fraud and one count of criminal attempt to commit theft by deception. Kronk allegedly submitted a false claim for pre-existing damage to his vehicle he said was caused by hitting a deer.
Angel Achatz, 41, 1148 Washington St., Vandergrift, Westmoreland County, was arrested on March 4 and charged with two counts of insurance fraud and one count of criminal attempt to commit theft by deception. Achatz allegedly submitted false claims for an accident that occurred prior to the time she reinstated his insurance policy.
Samuel Buckwalter, 32, 1708 Ridge Road Extension, Ambridge, Beaver County, was arrested on March 6 and charged with one count of insurance fraud and one count of criminal attempt to commit theft by deception. Buckwalter submitted a false insurance claim for an accident in which he drove his vehicle into another person’s yard. He claimed the accident occurred after he obtained comprehensive and collision coverage, when in fact the accident occurred before he obtained coverage.
Seth Propheter, 37, 335 Mead Ave., Apt. 1, Corry, Erie County, was arrested on March 5 and charged with one count of insurance fraud. Propheter allegedly tried to submit a claim for an accident that occurred when his policy had lapsed, and misrepresented that the policy was for a personal vehicle, when in fact he used the vehicle in question for business.
Private citizens can report allegations of insurance fraud using an online form or by calling the IFPA’s hotline at 1-888-565-IFPA (4372).
Consumers with a complaint involving an insurance company that does not involve fraud should contact the Pennsylvania Insurance Department at 1-877-881-6388 or the Attorney General’s Bureau of Consumer Protection at 1-800-441-2555.
