Lithonia resident busted
for insurance fraud
Former claims adjuster receives 4 years behind bars for fake checks
by Andy Phelan
andy@dekalbchamp.com
Three area residents, including a woman from Lithonia, were sentenced July 22 for stealing from an insurance company.
U.S. Chief District Judge Jack T. Camp sentenced Susan Denise Harper, 43, of DeKalb County, to four years in federal prison on charges of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud arising from a check fraud
scheme against Kentucky-based Underwriters Safety & Claims [US&C].
Harper was also ordered to serve three years of supervised release, and ordered to perform 150 hours of community service. She was also ordered to pay $378,295 in restitution. There is no parole in the federal system.
Her partners in crime -- Kevian Bateman, 27, of Atlanta, and Ojineka Jones Godwin, 51, of Alpharetta -- received three and two years behind bars, respectively, said prosecutors.
According to U.S. Attorney David E. Nahmias, Harper, who was a claims adjuster and supervisor of the property and casualty division at US&C, stole in two ways.
First, she entered fake data in the insurance company’s computer system to cause checks to be issued to fraudulent recipients. By re-opening an existing insurance claim and changing the name of the claimant to a fraudulent payee, in some instances recording false notes regarding the nature of the claim, Harper would get a check issued.
The second method involved Harper creating a fictitious claimant and corresponding documentation and then causing a payment to be issued. The checks would be cut at US&C’s headquarters, then mailed to the fraudulent payees in Georgia.
When they received the check, the payee would negotiate it and Harper would get the proceeds. A federal jury found Harper, who holds a law degree but is not a practicing attorney, guilty.
“Many fraud cases start with company insiders who are in a position of trust, but, as in this case, instead betray their employer and recruit others to help steal corporate cash,” said Nahmias.
“These cases can be difficult to investigate, with complex money trails, but the Secret Service and Postal Inspection Service again showed their expertise in nailing down the evidence and bringing the
defendants to justice,” he said.
“This is a great example of how criminals cannot run from the arms of justice, said Martin D. Phanco, Postal Inspector in Charge. “As a result of the complex nature of this case, and the enormous amount of time and resources used to investigate it, we were determined to see these fraudsters brought to justice. Make no mistake, you cannot use the U.S. mail for fraud and get away with it,”
The fraudulent payees were paid for their services for helping to negotiate the checks. The total loss to US&C was more than $384,000.
Special Agents of the United States Secret Service and Inspectors from the United States Postal Inspection Service investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Bernita Malloy prosecuted the case.
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