A Great Neck man was one of six people arrested Wednesday for submitting false auto insurance claims, state Attorney General Eric Schneiderman announced on Thursday.
“False claims affect hardworking New York residents by driving up the cost of auto insurance,” Schneiderman said in a statement. “Insurance fraud is a crime, and anyone thinking about making a false insurance claim should consider the consequences of their actions. My office will remain vigilant in identifying and prosecuting these cases.”
Shimon Schmulian, 25, of Great Neck, was arrested for purchasing a car insurance policy after damaging his vehicle and falsifying the date of the incident in his insurance claim.
In February 2014, Schmulian allegedly damaged his 2014 BMW after hitting a pothole, changed his deductible from $1,000 to $500, then filed a claim stating the incident occurred the day after, according to Schneiderman’s office.
He is charged with one count of first-degree falsifying business records and one count of fifth-degree insurance fraud.
Schmulian was arraigned Wednesday in Nassau County First District Court and released on his own recognizance, according to Schneiderman’s office.
According to the LinkedIn page of a “Shimon Schmulian” from Great Neck, he is an account executive for New Horizons Computer Learning Centers in New York City.
The other five people arrested were Jacqueline Cadeau, 26, of Hempstead, Debra Spraggins, 44, of Selden, Markapril Dungca, 27, of Queens Village, Shareen McIntosh, 31, of Brooklyn and Curlan Peters, 29, of Brooklyn.
The arrests were made as a result of “Operation Crash & Buy,” an investigation launched by the attorney general’s Auto Insurance Fraud Unit, which works in conjunction with the state Department of Financial Service’s Criminal Investigations Unit, Insurance Frauds Bureau and the National Insurance Crime Bureau.
“The National Insurance Crime Bureau would like to applaud the staff of the New York State Attorney General’s Office for their continued efforts in addressing insurance fraud in New York State,” Regional Director of the Northeast Region of the National Insurance Crime Bureau Kevin Gallagher said in a statement.. “The cost of insurance fraud is shared by all consumers, and this investigation sends a strong message to others who may be contemplating engaging in insurance fraud. We look forward to our continued partnership in combatting insurance fraud for all New Yorkers.”
