TRENTON
- Division of Criminal Justice Director
Vaughn L. McKoy announced that a Middlesex
County man has been order to pay more
than $25,000 in restitution and fines
after pleading guilty to participating
in an insurance fraud “give-up”
scheme.
According to Insurance Fraud Prosecutor
Greta Gooden Brown, Larnardo (Larry) R.
Pittman, 39, Bergen Street, South Plainfield,
Middlesex County, was sentenced by Somerset
County Superior Court Judge Paul W. Armstrong
to serve 277 days in the Somerset County
Jail (credit for time served) and ordered
to pay $19,000 in restitution and a $5,000
civil insurance fraud fine pursuant to
the Insurance Fraud Prevention Act.
Insurance Fraud Prosecutor Brown said
that Pittman pleaded guilty before Judge
Armstrong on Feb. 22 to a charge of theft
by deception. Pittman had been indicted
by a State Grand Jury on April 29, 2004.
In pleading guilty, Pittman admitted that
he reported his 2000 Ford F-350 pick-up
truck stolen to the Newark Police Department
on June 9, 2002. Pittman also reported
the purported theft to The Zurich North
American Insurance Company, the owner
of Empire Insurance Company. Empire processed
the claim and paid approximately $29,000
to Pittman based on the theft claim. The
Office of Insurance Fraud Prosecutor’s
investigation determined that Pittman’s
report that the truck had been stolen
on June 9, 2002 in Newark was false.
The investigation was conducted by the
Division
of Criminal Justice - Office
of the Insurance Fraud Prosecutor
which investigates and prosecutes civil
and criminal insurance fraud cases. State
Investigator Joseph Luccarelli, Civil
Investigator Frank Crossan, and Deputy
Attorney General Valerie A. Noto were
assigned to the investigation. DAG Noto
represented the Division of Criminal Justice
- Office of the Insurance Fraud Prosecutor
at the sentencing.
"Fraudulent
automobile insurance theft claims resulting
from automobile "give up" schemes
remain a priority for the Office of Insurance
Fraud Prosecutor," said Insurance
Fraud Prosecutor Brown. "Too many
people are willing to lie to an insurance
company by claiming that their car was
stolen in order to avoid repair bills
or end-of-lease payments. This prosecution
demonstrates our resolve to vigorously
investigate and prosecute such cases.”