28 Charged with Insurance Fraud Felonies

Attorney General Josh Shapiro: “We will aggressively prosecute anyone who breaks the law by providing false information to an insurance company.”

HARRISBURG — Attorney General Josh Shapiro today announced criminal charges against 28 people following investigations by the Office of Attorney General’s Insurance Fraud Section.

The charges are part of a sweep conducted in July and June by the Insurance Fraud Section. The total fraud involved in these unrelated cases is over $160,000. In 2017 so far, the Office of Attorney General has charged 109 persons with insurance fraud, and Pennsylvania courts have ordered more than $655,000 in restitution be paid. In 2016, 203 people were charged with insurance fraud.

“Insurance fraud is a serious crime that impacts consumers and policyholders across our Commonwealth,” Attorney General Shapiro said. “We will aggressively prosecute anyone who breaks the law by providing false information to an insurance company. When people commit insurance fraud, it causes premiums to rise for law-abiding policyholders. It’s wrong, and we’re taking action to stop it.”

All the defendants arrested in the most recent sweep are charged with insurance fraud, a third-degree felony. The cases are all pending.

Western Region:
James Nayock, 56, of Tunnelton Road, Saltsburg, is accused of insurance fraud in the largest-valued case in this sweep – $30,000. Nayock was involved in a single-vehicle motorcycle accident after leaving a bar. He sustained serious injuries, including a broken leg which was treated at a hospital.

Instead of accurately reporting the incident, Nayock filed an insurance claim stating he had fallen from the bed of a stranger’s pickup truck and sustained injuries. Nayock is charged with insurance fraud and theft by deception.

The following defendants in Western Pennsylvania are also charged:

Crystal Robb, 35, of Gallatin Avenue, Uniontown
Jordan Basel, 31, of Patterson Lane, Vernon
Jason Rubin, 35, of Main Street, Canonsburg
Jon Murman, 52, of Pierson Run Road, Pittsburgh
Danielle Desch, 28, of Baney Road, Julian
Jason Desch, 30, of Baney Road, Julian
Blane Johnson, 39, of Bull Run Road, Brownsville
Jan Fisher, 59, of Hansen Avenue, Lyndora
Amy Allaman, 37, W. Jefferson Street, Butler
Jocelyn Bayus, 21, of Lincoln Street, Cokeburg
Tina Yeast, 21, of Lake Street, Springboro
Christopher Yohe, 27, of Harrisburg Run, Bradford

Eastern Region:
In another case, Quran Howard, 43, of S. 16^th Street, Philadelphia, filed an insurance claim stating that more than $14,000 in personal property was stolen from her home in March 2016, including a Celine handbag worth $3,600. Howard claimed she had bought the handbag from the King of Prussia Neiman Marcus.

Sales records obtained from the store showed the handbag was actually bought by another woman – not Howard – and the receipt from the purchase was fraudulently submitted to Howard’s insurance company, without the other woman’s knowledge. Howard is charged with insurance fraud, theft by deception and conspiracy.

Also charged with insurance fraud in Philadelphia and the surrounding region are:

Patricia Barksdale, 61, of W. Stella Street, Philadelphia
Nelson Burgos-Matos, 28, of N. 6^th Street, Philadelphia
Simone Evanson, 25, of Willows Avenue, Philadelphia
Brenda Lakey, 57, of Chestnut Street, Pomeroy
David Clark, 38, of Willow Drive, Levittown
Brittany Hooper, 21, Powelton Avenue, Philadelphia
Jerrel Giles, 28, of Washington Avenue, Willow Grove
Stacey Haberberger, 36, of Lindbergh Boulvard, Philadelphia
Majid Narimanian, 46, of Greenshire Avenue, Claymont, DE

Central Region:
Another case brought to light disability fraud by Andrew Cooke, 28, of Harford, CT. Cooke received disability benefits of nearly $3,000 from Vision Quest while he was employed and receiving wages from Chambersburg Middle School. Cooke stated on a Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry form he had not been employed at any time while receiving workers’ compensation benefits. Cooke is charged with workers’ compensation fraud.

Also charged with insurance fraud in central Pennsylvania are:

Tabatha Zerbe, 44, of Mill Road, Fleetwood
Crystal Kline, 44, of S. 9^th Street, Lebanon
LuAnn Hileman, 32, of S. 2^nd Street, Steelton
Monica Canny, 34, of Helvetia Street, Wellsboro