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For
Immediate Release: |
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For
Further Information Contact: |
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February
8, 2005 |
Office
of The Attorney General
-
Peter C. Harvey,
Attorney General
Division
of Criminal Justice
-
Vaughn L. McKoy, Director
Office
of the Insurance Fraud Prosecutor
- Greta Gooden Brown, Insurance Fraud
Prosecutor
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Rachel
Sacharow
609-984-1936
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Ocean
County Man Pleads Guilty to Filing Phony “Slip
and Fall” Lawsuit |
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TRENTON - Division of
Criminal Justice Director Vaughn L. McKoy
announced that an Ocean County man has
pleaded guilty to charges of perjury and
falsifying records as part of a phony
“slip and fall” bodily injury
lawsuit.
According to Director
McKoy and Insurance Fraud Prosecutor Greta
Gooden-Brown, Robert P. Scott, 55, Cedar
Street, Point Pleasant, Ocean County,
pleaded guilty before Monmouth County
Superior Court Judge Bette E. Uhrmacher
to a criminal Accusation filed by the
Division of Criminal
Justice - Office of Insurance
Fraud Prosecutor. The Accusation charged
Scott with perjury (3rd degree) and falsifying
records (4th degree). When sentenced on
May 20, Scott faces up to six and half
years in state prison and a fine of up
to $35,000. In addition, the Division
of Criminal Justice - Office of Insurance
Fraud Prosecutor will seek more than $10,000
in restitution from the defendant.
At the guilty plea hearing, Scott admitted
that between Nov. 19, 2001 and March 21,
2003, he filed a false slip and fall law
suit against the Asbury Park Press newspaper.
In the lawsuit, Scott asserted that, as
he was attempting to retrieve a copy of
the Asbury Park Press from his front porch,
he “slipped and fell,” which
resulted in physical injuries. Specifically,
Scott claimed in depositions and interrogations
that the newspaper was “negligently”
placed on his front porch by an Asbury
Park Press newspaper delivery person and,
as a result of the placement, he fell
and injured himself. An investigation
by the Division of Criminal Justice determined
that Scott lied under oath in the depositions
and interrogatories.
While the lawsuit was
dismissed by Judge Ronald Lee Reisner
of Monmouth County on March 21, 2003,
the Asbury Park Press spent in excess
of $10,000 defending Scott’s fraudulent
claim.
State Investigators
Kristi Procaccino and Natalie Brotherston,
and Deputy Attorney General Steven Cirillo
were assigned to the investigation. DAG
Cirillo represented the Division of Criminal
Justice - Office of Insurance Fraud Prosecutor
at the guilty plea hearing. The case was
referred to the Division of Criminal Justice
- Office of Insurance Fraud Prosecutor
by the Asbury Park Press.
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