Auto Fraud —Pennsylvania

Amount: Unknown

A man in Scranton Pennsylvania has plead guilty to several crimes including accidents involving death or serious bodily injury and insurance fraud, as well as making false reports to law enforcement. He has been sentenced to up to eighteen months in prison, followed by seven years of probation, plus 1,000 community service hours and a required payment of $1,900. This sentence resulted from an accident where the defendant smashed the legs of a Department of Public Works employee with his car and then tried to cover up the crash. The victim was collecting trash around six a.m. on November 28, 2015 when he was pinned between a black Toyota Camry and the garbage truck. The defendant told investigators that he was at an all-night drinking party and staged another crash after the incident with the victim in order to mask the damage to his Camry. In the area where the crash was staged, investigators said they found parts of a headlamp that had apparently been thrown on the ground, some of which had blood on them. Investigators also concluded that the significant front-end damage on the Camry was inconsistent with the crash claim that the defendant had reported to his insurance company. The defendant had no prior record and, in an unusual gesture, sent a letter of apology to the victim. The victim is now walking after months of surgery and physical therapy. The defendant has shown remorse for his actions.