TRENTON
- Attorney General Peter C. Harvey announced
that a Union County man has been sentenced
to State Prison for his role in a phony
automobile accident scheme which attempted
to obtain more than $90,000 in fraudulent
insurance payments from New Jersey insurance
companies.
According to Vaughn L. McKoy, Director,
Division of Criminal Justice and Insurance
Fraud Prosecutor Greta Gooden-Brown, Dannie
Campbell, 53, Hamilton St., Elizabeth,
Union County, was sentenced on April 1
by Essex County Superior Court Judge Joseph
V. Isabella to three years in state prison
and ordered to pay a $3,000 fine.
Insurance Fraud Prosecutor Gooden-Brown
noted that Campbell, the mastermind and
“runner” of a fake automobile
accident ring operating in Essex County,
pleaded guilty to a charge of Health Care
Claims Fraud on Oct. 7, 2004. In pleading
guilty, Campbell admitted that from July,
1997 through March, 1999, he created two
fictitious automobile accidents which
involved the filing of fraudulent accident
reports and Personal Injury Protection
(PIP) claims to police and insurance companies
for non-existent injuries purportedly
sustained in the phony accidents.
An investigation by the Division of Criminal
Justice - Office of Insurance Fraud Prosecutor
determined that a phony automobile accident
planned by Campbell purportedly took place
on July 24, 1997 in Hillside, Union County.
The fraudulent accident involved four
other individuals, each claiming to have
sustained injuries requiring medical treatment.
As a result of the phony accident, each
submitted fraudulent PIP insurance claims
totaling $47,700 to Keystone Insurance
Company/AAA Mid-Atlantic Insurance Company.
A second fraudulent accident purportedly
took place on Sept. 16, 1998 in Newark
wherein Campbell and another individual
solicited other persons to act as passengers
in the phony accident. As a result, four
alleged victims submitted phony PIP insurance
claims to Keystone Insurance Company/AAA
Mid-Atlantic Insurance Company after receiving
treatment for injuries purportedly sustained
in the phony accident. The fraudulent
PIP insurance claims exceeded $42,950.
As a result of Insurance Fraud Prosecutor’s
investigation, several related criminal
indictments were obtained which charged
the victims or passengers involved in
the purported accidents. State Grand Jury
indictments returned on March 19, 2003
charged George Holly, Jr. 27, Purce St.,
Hillside, Union County; Shaheed Johnson,
26, S. Orange Ave., Newark, Essex County;
Nathaniel Jones, 28, Grove St., Irvington,
Essex County; Rashonda Harris, 24, 12th
St., Newark, Essex County; Robert Paul
Mitchner, a/k/a “Shaboor”,
41, Clinton Ave., Newark, Essex County;
Ramil Robinson, 23, Clinton Ave., Newark,
Essex County; Chad Watson, 24, Burnett
Terrace, W. Orange, Essex County; Duane
Smith, 39, S. Orange Ave. Newark, Essex
County; Monesha Gray, 32, Kent St., Newark,
Essex County; and Deborah Mathis, 40,
20th St., Newark, Essex County, with conspiracy,
Health Care Claims Fraud, and attempted
theft by deception.
On Jan. 30, 2004, Nathaniel Jones pled
guilty to Health Care Claims Fraud but
failed to appear at a scheduled Aug. 2,
2004 sentencing. A bench warrant was issued
for his arrest. On Feb. 27, 2004, Shaheed
Johnson pled guilty to conspiracy and
was sentenced to three years probation
and ordered to pay a $2,500 civil insurance
fraud fine. On Oct. 22, 2003, Mathis pled
guilty to Health Care Claims Fraud and
was sentenced to three years probation
and ordered to pay a $2,500 civil insurance
fraud fine. On Jan. 26, 2004, Mitchner
pled guilty to Health Care Claims Fraud
and was sentenced to two years probation.
The remaining defendants are pending trial
or further court action.
The Keystone Insurance Company/AAA Mid-Atlantic
Insurance Company became suspicious of
the claims, denied payment and referred
the cases to the Division of Criminal
Justice - Office of the Insurance Fraud
Prosecutor for criminal investigation.
State Investigator Johnny Ho, Civil Investigator
Julia Ferreira, and Deputy Attorney General
Michael A. Monahan coordinated the investigation.
www.NJInsuranceFraud.org
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