Another Reason Not to File False Claims: Ex-Police Officer Pleads Guilty to Insurance Fraud

In a scheme that probably seemed better on paper, Philadelphia Police Sgt. Dwayne Darby decided to report his car stolen in order to prevent it from being repossessed by the bank. Unfortunately, rather than receiving a nice settlement from his insurance company, Darby’s ill conceived plan netted him three year’s probation and a $5,000 civil penalty to an insurance fraud prevention agency.

The now former police officer and his roommate were both arrested following a seven month investigation. The two men had fallen behind on their car payments and were in jeopardy of having their cars repossessed. Instead of letting the bank take back their vehicles, the two men had them towed to a garage and reported the vehicles had both been stolen while the friends had been in New York on a day trip.

Both Darby and his roommate filed separate claims with Nationwide Insurance.

In addition to the suspicion surrounding their simultaneous misfortune, the two men had inconsistencies in their stories that caused Nationwide to question the claim. Despite saying they’d taken the trip together, their dates didn’t match up. Plus, the fact that both roommates had loans in arrears added questions about how the two men could afford a trip to New York in the first place.

Ultimately, Darby’s roommate pled guilty late last year and Darby filed his plea agreement yesterday: both proving that the only thing dumber than committing insurance fraud on your own is trying to do it with a friend.

Photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/deltamike/2514413918/