A Morris County, N.J., man was sentenced to state prison for falsely reporting that his car had been stolen as part of an “auto give-up” scheme.
James Sgambati, 31, of Parsippany, N.J., is the latest to be convicted in the ongoing investigation, according to the New Jersey Attorney General’s Office.
Sgambati pleaded guilty to third-degree insurance fraud, for which he was indicted by a Morris County grand jury in April.
He was sentenced to three years in state prison and was ordered to pay restitution to New Jersey Manufacturers Insurance Co. by Superior Court Judge David H. Ironson in Morris County.
The leader of the scheme, Jose Torres, 37, of Paterson, N.J., was previously sentenced to eight years in state prison, with five years of parole ineligibility.
Sgambati admitted that between Sept. 12 and Oct. 25, 2006, he falsely reported to the Paterson Police Department that his 2006 Dodge Charger had been stolen. An investigation by the New Jersey Office of the Insurance Fraud Prosecutor determined that Sgambati subsequently obtained $31,466 from New Jersey Manufacturers Insurance Co. by filing a false affidavit of vehicle theft.
N.J. man sentenced to prison for role in ‘auto give-up’ scheme via IFAwebnews .