Comp Claimant Among 29 Charged With Insurance Fraud

Monday, July 17, 2017 | 0

A workers’ compensation claimant was among 29 people arrested during an insurance fraud sweep by the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office.

Andrew Cooke

Prosecutors say 28-year-old Andrew Cooke, of Hartford, Connecticut, received $3,000 in disability benefits from Vision Quest while he was employed and receiving wages from Chambersburg Middle School. Cooke had allegedly told the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry that he was not employed.

Attorney General Josh Shapiro said in a press release that the charges against Cooke and 28 others were filed after a sweep conducted in June and July by the Insurance Fraud Section. The total suspected fraud involved in all of the cases amounts to $160,000, he said.

Each of the defendants were charged with insurance fraud, a third-degree felony. Most of those arrested are accused of fraud involving property and automobile insurers.