N.Y. Attorney General, Nassau Deputy Bureau Chief Named Top Fraud Fighters of the Year

The National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) was to honor New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer and Deputy Bureau Chief of the Nassau County District Attorney’s Office Barbara Kornblau as its 2003 Man and Woman of the Year for the New York City Metropolitan Region.

The award ceremony was set to take place, Friday, Dec. 19 at 1:30 p.m. at John Anthony’s on the Water, 494 Fire Island Avenue, in Babylon, N.Y.

“These awards acknowledge the Attorney General and Deputy Bureau Chief Kornblau as leaders in the fight against fraud. Insurance fraud is perceived as a victimless white collar crime with little effect on the average individual,” said Gene Glenn, chief operating officer of the National Insurance Crime Bureau. “In fact, fraud costs each American household an average of $200 to $300 a year in additional insurance premiums-money which could be used toward household expenses, savings or an educational fund,” he added.

Spitzer is a tireless advocate for the citizens of the state of New York. In the past year, Spitzer has established a separate unit within the Attorney General’s office charged with the exclusive mission of combating insurance fraud.

In addition, the Attorney General’s office has assigned a full-time investigator to NICB’s New York Medical Fraud Task Force which identifies and investigates individuals and organized crime rings participating in personal injury protection fraud.

Recently, the Medical Fraud Task Force uncovered evidence that led to the indictment of more than 550 members (individuals and entities) of an organized insurance fraud scam allegedly responsible for at least 1,000 staged accidents in New York City.

Kornblau is the current Deputy Bureau Chief of the Criminal Frauds Bureau of the Nassau County District Attorney’s Office. In the past two years, Kornblau has been involved in the prosecution of more than 35 insurance fraud cases. Her recent indictments include the ring leader of a major staged accident ring which should lead to prosecutions of numerous co-conspirators.

The NICB Man and Woman of the Year awards are presented annually to individuals who make significant contributions to the fight against insurance fraud in the New York City Metropolitan Area.