Two Toledo Men Charged with Defrauding Insurance Companies

A scheme to enrich themselves through the submission of false and fraudulent auto insurance claims has landed two Toledo men in hot water.

Michael N. Smith, 57, and Darryl Richardson, 57, both of Toledo, are accused of conspiring to commit mail fraud, said Steven M. Dettelbach, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio.

The defendants, according to the indictment, devised a scheme to submit false and fraudulent auto insurance claims to various insurers, causing total losses of more than $135,000.

The conspiracy, which took place between December 2006 and March 2009, involved recruiting numerous other co-conspirators to fake auto accidents and then make false claims to insurance companies, according to the indictment.

The investigation revealed that the defendants submitted more than 20 claims to companies including GEICO, Safe Auto Insurance Company, Permanent General, n/k/a The General, and Progressive Casualty Insurance Company.

If convicted, the defendants’ sentence will be determined by the Court after reviewing factors unique to this case, including the defendants’ prior criminal record, if any, the defendants’ role in the offense and the characteristics of the violation.

An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. Defendants are entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

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