Twenty-eight people are facing felony charges in a sweeping crackdown on insurance fraud across Pennsylvania, accused of bilking carriers out of more than $160,000 in false claims. The arrests, led by the Office of Attorney General’s Insurance Fraud Section, spanned June and July and targeted schemes ranging from staged accidents to forged receipts for luxury goods.
In the largest single case, James Nayock, 56, of Saltsburg, allegedly claimed he fell from the bed of a stranger’s pickup truck, seeking $30,000 in benefits. In reality, he was seriously injured in a solo motorcycle crash after leaving a bar—facts he concealed when filing the claim. Nayock now faces charges of insurance fraud and theft by deception, a third-degree felony.
Elsewhere in Western Pennsylvania, multiple defendants were charged in unrelated fraud cases. Among them: Crystal Robb, 35, of Uniontown; Jordan Basel, 31, of Vernon; Jason Rubin, 35, of Canonsburg; Jon Murman, 52, of Pittsburgh; Danielle Desch, 28, and Jason Desch, 30, both of Julian; Blane Johnson, 39, of Brownsville; Jan Fisher, 59, of Lyndora; Amy Allaman, 37, of Butler; Jocelyn Bayus, 21, of Cokeburg; Tina Yeast, 21, of Springboro; and Christopher Yohe, 27, of Bradford.
In Philadelphia, Quran Howard, 43, of S. 16th Street, claimed over $14,000 in stolen property, including a $3,600 Celine handbag bought from Neiman Marcus in King of Prussia. Investigators found the bag was purchased by another woman, whose receipt Howard fraudulently submitted. Howard is charged with insurance fraud, theft by deception, and conspiracy. Others charged in the eastern region include Patricia Barksdale, 61; Nelson Burgos-Matos, 28; Simone Evanson, 25; Brenda Lakey, 57; David Clark, 38; Brittany Hooper, 21; Jerrel Giles, 28; Stacey Haberberger, 36; and Majid Narimanian, 46, of Claymont, DE.
Disability fraud surfaced in the central region, where Andrew Cooke, 28, of Harford, CT, collected nearly $3,000 in benefits from Vision Quest while actively employed—a direct violation of eligibility rules. His case adds to the growing tally of fraud prosecutions this year, as state authorities emphasize that cheating the system harms all policyholders.
Attorney General Josh Shapiro vowed continued crackdowns: “Insurance fraud is a serious crime that impacts consumers and policyholders across our Commonwealth. When people commit fraud, premiums rise for everyone. We’re taking action to stop it.” So far in 2017, 109 individuals have been charged with insurance fraud in Pennsylvania, with courts ordering over $655,000 in restitution. In 2016, the total was 203 charged. All current cases remain pending.
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Key Facts
- State: Pennsylvania
- Agency: Pennsylvania AG
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: Official Source ↗
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