TRENTON
- Attorney General Zulima V. Farber and
Division of Criminal Justice Director Gregory
A. Paw announced that a Florida man has
been indicted for his role in an auto theft
scam.
According
to Insurance Fraud Prosecutor Greta Gooden
Brown, a Union County grand jury indictment
was handed up Friday charging Krzysztof
Walentynowicz, 34, of West Palm Beach, Fla.,
with second-degree receiving stolen property
and third-degree prohibited alteration of
motor vehicle trademark or identification
number. Second-degree crimes carry a maximum
punishment of 10 years State prison and
a criminal fine of $150,000, while third-degree
crimes carry a maximum punishment of five
years in state prison and a criminal fine
of $15,000. Walentynowicz also may face
civil insurance fraud fines.
The
indictment alleges that on or about June
21, 2002, in Cranford, N.J., Walentynowicz
had in his possession seven vehicles that
he knew were stolen: a 2001 BMW 330, a 2001
Audi S4, a 2002 Jeep Grand Cherokee, a 2002
GMC Denali, a 2002 Jeep Limited and two
2002 Cadillac Escalades. A joint investigation
by the Division of Criminal Justice - Office
of the Insurance Fraud Prosecutor and the
Cranford Police Department determined that
Walentynowicz allegedly possessed these
automobiles in order to re-tag them with
altered vehicle identification numbers or
chop them into parts.
State
Investigator Jarek Pyrzanowski, and Deputy
Attorney General Michael A. Monahan were
assigned to the investigation into this
case. Monahan presented the case to the
Union County grand jury on behalf of the
Office of Insurance Fraud Prosecutor.
The
indictment is merely an accusation and the
defendant is presumed innocent until proven
guilty.
Prosecutor
Brown noted that some important cases have
begun with anonymous tips from the public.
People who are concerned about insurance
cheating and have any information about
a fraud can report it anonymously by calling
our toll-free hotline at 1-877-55-FRAUD,
or visit our Web site at 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 the Insurance Fraud Prosecutor
was established by the Automobile Insurance
Cost Reduction Act of 1998 (AICRA). The
Office is the centralized state agency that
investigates and prosecutes both civil and
criminal insurance fraud, as well as Medicaid
fraud. Criminal convictions for insurance
fraud can result in fines and imprisonment,
while civil penalties can include substantial
fines and referral for revocation or suspension
of professional licenses.
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