N.J. Man Ordered to Pay $5,000 Penalty for Submitting Multiple Claims

New Jersey’s Vaughn McKoy, Director, Division of Criminal Justice, announced that a Middlesex County man has been ordered to pay a $5,000 penalty for submitting multiple insurance claims for the same “lost” engagement ring.

According to Insurance Fraud Prosecutor Greta Gooden-Brown, Eric Rosenblatt, 31, of Middlesex County, was ordered by Middlesex County Superior Court Judge Frederick DeVesa to pay a $5,000 civil insurance fraud fine pursuant to the Insurance Fraud Prevention Act and to serve five years probation for reportedly falsely claiming that a diamond engagement ring had been lost or stolen.

Gooden Brown noted that Rosenblatt was charged via a Middlesex County Grand Jury indictment returned on June 25 with attempted theft by deception. At the Aug. 7 guilty plea hearing before Judge DeVesa, Rosenblatt reportedly admitted that in May, 2001, he submitted a loss claim to Jewelers Mutual Insurance Company claiming a lost one-carat diamond ring valued at approximately $5,700.

In support of the claim, Rosenblatt reportedly submitted two notarized letters which contained false information. An investigation by Jewelers Mutual revealed that in November, 2000, Rosenblatt had reported the same diamond ring lost to State Farm Insurance Company. State Farm paid a claim of $4,664 for the lost ring.

After receiving payment from State Farm, Rosenblatt is reported to have found the ring and insured it with Jewelers Mutual. Rosenblatt failed to disclose the prior claim on the Jewelers Mutual application for insurance and falsely reported the ring lost.

Jewelers Mutual denied Rosenblatt’s claim and referred the case to the Division of Criminal Justice – Office of Insurance Fraud Prosecutor for investigation.