Greenbelt, Maryland, residents are left reeling after two former police officers were caught in a massive insurance scam.
Michael Anthony Owen, Jr., 36, of Accokeek, Maryland, and Jaron Earl Taylor, 31, of Ft. Washington, Maryland, pleaded guilty to federal charges in connection with an auto-insurance fraud scheme.
According to court documents, between August 2018 and February 2020, Owen and Taylor conspired with fellow police officers to engage in mail and wire fraud. The duo, along with officers Candace Tyler, Conrad D’Haiti, and Davion Percy, and others, devised a scheme for insurance companies to pay out the remaining financing costs of unwanted vehicles.
The co-conspirators used their statuses as police officers to assist each other’s claims by writing false police reports. They then submitted fictitious police reports to insurers to validate the claim, which was intended to impede, obstruct, or influence subsequent investigations of the false insurance claims.
In August 2018, Owen and Taylor staged the theft of Taylor’s Chevrolet Tahoe. After Taylor filed a fraudulent police report, Owen and Taylor stripped the vehicle and drove it deep into the woods of a Maryland State Highway property near Largo, Maryland. Taylor then made a false claim to the United Services Automobile Association (USAA) for the loss, for which USAA paid out a total of $38,670.
Owen faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison. Taylor faces a maximum sentence of three years in federal prison if the court fully accepts the plea deal. Both sentencings are scheduled for Tuesday, September 23. Taylor’s sentencing is at 10:30 a.m., and Owen’s sentencing is at 2:30 p.m.
U.S. Attorney Kelly O. Hayes commended the FBI and Prince George’s County Police Department for their work in the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joseph Baldwin and LaShanta Harris are prosecuting the case.
Defendant: Michael Anthony Owen, Jr.
Criminal Charges: Falsification of records, conspiracy to commit wire fraud
City and State: Greenbelt, Maryland
Exact Date: Between August 2018 and February 2020
Sentence or Outcome: Maximum 20 years in federal prison
Dollar Amounts: $38,670
Key Facts
- State: Maryland
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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