Zalma on Insurance
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Insurance Claims professional presents articles and videos on insurance, insurance Claims and insurance law for insurance Claims adjusters, insurance professionals and insurance lawyers who wish to improve their skills and knowledge. Presented by an internationally recognized expert and author.
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May 05, 2022
Doctor Who Defrauded Health Insurers Tried to Back out of Plea Deal

Read the full article at https://lnkd.in/gUfZPd4j

In State Of New Jersey Amgad A. Hessein, No. A-0983-20, Superior Court of New Jersey, Appellate Division (April 26, 2022) Dr. Amgad A. Hessein, a physician facing a thirty-eight-count indictment alleging billing fraud related to his medical practice, was on the verge starting his trial after completion of jury selection when he pled guilty to second-degree theft by deception, N.J.S.A. 2C:20-4(a), and second-degree health care insurance claims fraud, N.J.S.A. 2C:21-4.3(a).

As part of the plea agreement, the prosecutor gave a gift to Dr. Hessein by dismissing the remaining thirty-six counts because defendant entered into a consent order requiring forfeiture of $2,000,000 and directing that he pay restitution in the amount $235,093.75.

Prior to sentencing defendant to an aggregate eight-year prison term and ordering forfeiture of funds and restitution, Judge John M. Deitch denied defendant’s motion to withdraw his guilty pleas.

The trial judge properly found that defendant failed to demonstrate there was any evidence supporting a third-degree reckless health care insurance claim fraud instead of a second-degree offense.

ZALMA OPINION

Insurance criminals have no honor. After he was sentenced to jail on the plea he changed his mind and wanted to withdraw his plea and not go to jail because most of the witnesses against him were dead or infirm. It wasn’t even a good try and he obviously used the fraudulent money he gained that were not taken by the court to fund this stupid, second appeal, trying to withdraw his plea. Hopefully he will be able to help the health of his fellow prisoners.

(c) 2022 Barry Zalma & ClaimSchool, Inc.
Barry Zalma, Esq., CFE, now limits his practice to service as an insurance consultant specializing in insurance coverage, insurance claims handling, insurance bad faith and insurance fraud almost equally for insurers and policyholders. He practiced law in California for more than 44 years as an insurance coverage and claims handling lawyer and more than 54 years in the insurance business. He is available at http://www.zalma.com and [email protected].
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Write to Mr. Zalma at [email protected]; http://www.zalma.com; http://zalma.com/blog; daily articles are published at
Zalma on Insurance
Insurance, insurance claims, insurance law, and insurance fraud .
By Barry Zalma

. Go to the podcast Zalma On Insurance at https://lnkd.in/gxA7YGe; Follow Mr. Zalma on Twitter at https://twitter.com/bzalma; Go to Barry Zalma videos at Rumble.com at https://lnkd.in/gV9QJYH; Go to Barry Zalma on YouTube- https://lnkd.in/g2hGv88; Go to the Insurance Claims Library – https://lnkd.in/gKCTg53

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Videos
Posts
9 hours ago
No Coverage for Intentional Acts

When Harm is Inherent in the Nature of the Act it is Intentional

Post 5237

See the video at and at and at https://zalma.com/blog plus more than 5200 posts.

No Coverage for Intentional Acts

Hitting a Person in the Face is an Intentional Act

In Unitrin Auto and Home Insurance Company v. Brian C. Sullivan, et al., George A. Ciminello, No. 2022-01607, Index No. 21632/14, Supreme Court of New York, Second Department (November 19, 2025) George A. Ciminello was injured when struck in the face by a cup filled with liquid, thrown from a moving vehicle operated by Brian C. Sullivan, with Robert Harford as the passenger who threw the cup. The vehicle approached Ciminello at about 30 mph, from 2 to 10 feet away, and Harford extended his arm to make contact. The cup splintered upon impact.

Sullivan and Harford later conceded liability on the intentional tort claim before a damages trial.

Insurance Policy:

Unitrin Auto and Home...

00:06:53
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December 04, 2025
Unmitigated Gall to Abuse an Elderly Bishop and His Church

Obtaining Title to Church by Fraud Defeated

Post 5238

Read the full article at https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/unmitigated-gall-abuse-elderly-bishop-his-church-zalma-esq-cfe-xcasc, see the video at and at and at https://zalma.com/blog plus more than 5200 posts.

It is Villainous to Steal Church Property from Sick and Elderly Bishop

In Testimonial Cathedral Local Church of God in Christ v. EquityKey Real Estate Option, LLC et al. (Cal. Ct. App., 2d Dist., Div. 8, No. B331522 (Nov. 18, 2025) EquityKey (through broker Steven Sharpe and Frank Wheaton, a trusted advisor/friend of elderly Bishop Jimmy Hackworth) presented a deal supposedly for a $4 million life-insurance policy on Hackworth’s life with EquityKey as beneficiary. In exchange, EquityKey paid Hackworth $400,000 upfront.
Factual Background

To qualify Hackworth for the large policy, church real property on South Western Ave., Los Angeles was temporarily ...

00:10:28
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December 03, 2025
Soldier Sentenced for Nigerian Romance Fraud

Guilty of Money Laundering Scheme
Post 5238

See the video at https://lnkd.in/gqh7V46x and at https://lnkd.in/gmE-zrDC and at https://zalma.com/blog plus more than 5200 posts.

Prison Sentence for Fraud Must be Limited to the Fraud in Which the Defendant Participated

In United States v. Stephen O. Anagor, No. 2:24-CR-00019-DCLC-CRW (E.D. Tenn., Nov. 26, 2025) by Judge Clifton L. Corker the government sought to increase the defendant’s sentence because his co-conspirators added a fraudulent FBI scam that resulted in the victim’s suicide. Anagor sought a lower sentence because he was only involved in part of the fraud.

Charges & Plea

Defendant, a U.S. Army soldier pled guilty on June 11, 2025 to Conspiracy to Commit Mail and Wire Fraud, Aiding and Abetting Aggravated Stalking Resulting in Death and Aiding and Abetting Aggravated Identity Theft that was part of a larger 38-count superseding indictment against Anagor and co-defendants Chinagorom Onwumere and Salma Abdalkareem for an international Nigerian-based ...

00:10:51
October 31, 2025
The Zalma Philosophy of Claims Handling – Part 9

The Professional Claims Handler
Post 5219

Posted on October 31, 2025 by Barry Zalma

An Insurance claims professionals should be a person who:

Can read and understand the insurance policies issued by the insurer.
Understands the promises made by the policy.
Understand their obligation, as an insurer’s claims staff, to fulfill the promises made.
Are competent investigators.
Have empathy and recognize the difference between empathy and sympathy.
Understand medicine relating to traumatic injuries and are sufficiently versed in tort law to deal with lawyers as equals.
Understand how to repair damage to real and personal property and the value of the repairs or the property.
Understand how to negotiate a fair and reasonable settlement with the insured that is fair and reasonable to both the insured and the insurer.

How to Create Claims Professionals

To avoid fraudulent claims, claims of breach of contract, bad faith, punitive damages, unresolved losses, and to make a profit, insurers ...

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October 20, 2025
The Zalma Philosophy of Claims Handling – Part I

The History Behind the Creation of a Claims Handling Expert

The Insurance Industry Needs to Implement Excellence in Claims Handling or Fail
Post 5210

This is a change from my normal blog postings. It is my attempt. in more than one post, to explain the need for professional claims representatives who comply with the basic custom and practice of the insurance industry. This statement of my philosophy on claims handling starts with my history as a claims adjuster, insurance defense and coverage lawyer and insurance claims handling expert.
My Training to be an Insurance Claims Adjuster

When I was discharged from the US Army in 1967 I was hired as an insurance adjuster trainee by a professional and well respected insurance company. The insurer took a chance on me because I had been an Army Intelligence Investigator for my three years in the military and could use that training and experience to be a basis to become a professional insurance adjuster.

I was initially sat at a desk reading a text-book on insurance ...

post photo preview
October 20, 2025
The Zalma Philosophy of Claims Handling – Part I

The History Behind the Creation of a Claims Handling Expert

The Insurance Industry Needs to Implement Excellence in Claims Handling or Fail

Post 5210

This is a change from my normal blog postings. It is my attempt. in more than one post, to explain the need for professional claims representatives who comply with the basic custom and practice of the insurance industry. This statement of my philosophy on claims handling starts with my history as a claims adjuster, insurance defense and coverage lawyer and insurance claims handling expert.

My Training to be an Insurance Claims Adjuster

When I was discharged from the US Army in 1967 I was hired as an insurance adjuster trainee by a professional and well respected insurance company. The insurer took a chance on me because I had been an Army Intelligence Investigator for my three years in the military and could use that training and experience to be a basis to become a professional insurance adjuster.

I was initially sat at a desk reading a text-book on insurance ...

post photo preview
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