Serial Fraudster Loses Request to Shorten Supervised Release
Post 4976
Read the full article at https://lnkd.in/gC-PVpVZ, see the full video at https://lnkd.in/gQmG4Tx5 and at https://lnkd.in/g9XHGMVk and at https://zalma.com/blog plus more than 4950 posts.
Defendant Frank Capozzi, acting as his own lawyer, filed a letter-motion requesting early termination of his supervised release approximately 18 months into his 36-month term of supervised release.
In United States Of America v. Frank J. Capozzi, No. 3:16-CR-347, United States District Court, M.D. Pennsylvania (January 13, 2025) the USDC rejected the motion.
ANALYSIS
The primary purpose of supervised release is to facilitate the integration of offenders back into the community rather than to punish them. Congress has provided the sentencing court with the authority to terminate a defendant’s term of supervised release early pursuant to 18 U.S.C. § 3583(e).
The factors the court must consider include:
1. the nature and circumstances of the offense and the defendant’s history and characteristics;
2. the need to afford adequate deterrence to criminal conduct, protect the public from further crimes of the defendant, and provide him with needed educational or vocational training, medical care, or other correctional treatment in the most effective manner;
3. the kinds of sentence and sentencing range established for the defendant’s crimes;
4. pertinent policy statements issued by the United States Sentencing Commission;
5. the need to avoid unwarranted sentence disparities among defendants with similar records who have been found guilty of similar conduct; and
6. the need to provide restitution to any victims of the offense.
In the present case, on September 11,2019, Defendant Capozzi pleaded guilty to Counts 1 and 7 of the Indictment, specifically Conspiracy to Defraud the Government with Respect to Claims and Aggravated Identity Theft and Aiding and Abetting the same.
Conspiracy to Defraud the Government with Respect to Claims and Aggravated Identity Theft and Aiding and Abetting the same.
Capozzi’s convictions included his involvement in an extensive scheme from 2010 to 2014 to defraud the Department of the Treasury through the filing of false income tax returns. The falsified tax returns often used the identities of individuals, many of whom were incarcerated, who had no knowledge that returns were being filed in their name.
Since the age of 19 the most recent convictions prior to the commencement of the instant case in 2016 include a state court conviction in 2013 for “Fraud in Completing Insurance Claims; Insurance Fraud; Theft by Deception; and Conspiracy – Theft by Deception” due to Capozzi’s submission in 2011 of false employment information to Allstate Insurance to receive disability benefits to which he was not entitled.
On September 9, 2020, the USDC sentenced Capozzi to a term of incarceration of 70 months, to be followed by a term of supervised release of 3 years. Capozzi began his three-year term of supervised release in mid-2023 and has now served approximately 20-months of his supervised release term. Capozzi moved for early termination of his supervised release.
Capozzi presented little evidence that “new or unforeseen circumstances” have arisen warranting the early termination of Defendant’s supervised release.
Capozzi’s history and characteristics, and in particular his history of engaging in various types of fraudulent activity since 2010, as evidenced by his convictions in the current action as well as those in 2013 and 2014, weigh against early termination of his supervised release and demonstrate a need for continued supervision.
Defendant Capozzi’s letter-motion requesting early termination of his supervised release was denied.
ZALMA OPINION
Mr. Capozzi was a seasoned fraudster whose schemes cheated the government, the public and the insurance industry out of millions of dollars. His last conviction put him in jail for 70 months and 36 months of Supervised Release (parole). He asked the court to let him free of the supervised release but without sufficient evidence. He was a serious criminal and every time he was jailed he came out and committed more fraudulent crimes and sought mercy without any hope he will not commit more fraud.
(c) 2025 Barry Zalma & ClaimSchool, Inc.
Please tell your friends and colleagues about this blog and the videos and let them subscribe to the blog and the videos.
Subscribe to my substack at https://barryzalma.substack.com/subscribe
Go to X @bzalma; Go to Newsbreak.com https://www.newsbreak.com/@c/1653419?s=01; Go to Barry Zalma videos at Rumble.com at https://rumble.com/account/content?type=all; Go to Barry Zalma on YouTube- https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCysiZklEtxZsSF9DfC0Expg
Go to the Insurance Claims Library – https://lnkd.in/gwEYk
Concurrent Cause Doctrine Does Not Apply When all Causes are Excluded
Post 5119
Death by Drug Overdose is Excluded
See the full video at https://lnkd.in/geQtybUJ and at https://lnkd.in/g_WNfMCZ, and at https://zalma.com/blog plus more than 5100 posts.
Southern Insurance Company Of Virginia v. Justin D. Mitchell, et al., No. 3:24-cv-00198, United States District Court, M.D. Tennessee, Nashville Division (October 10, 2024) Southern Insurance Company of Virginia sought a declaratory judgment regarding its duty to defend William Mitchell in a wrongful death case pending in California state court.
KEY POINTS
1. Motion for Judgment on the Pleadings: The Plaintiff moved for judgment on the pleadings, which was granted in part and denied in part.
2. Duty to Defend: The court found that the Plaintiff has no duty to defend William Mitchell in the California case due to a specific exclusion in the insurance policy.
3. Duty to Indemnify: The court could not determine at this stage whether the Plaintiff had a duty to ...
GEICO Sued Fraudulent Health Care Providers Under RICO and Settled with the Defendants Who Failed to Pay Settlement
See the full video at https://lnkd.in/gDpGzdR9 and at https://lnkd.in/gbDfikRG, and at https://zalma.com/blog plus more than 5100 posts.
Post 5119
Default of Settlement Agreement Reduced to Judgment
In Government Employees Insurance Company, Geico Indemnity Company, Geico General Insurance Company, and Geico Casualty Company v. Dominic Emeka Onyema, M.D., DEO Medical Services, P.C., and Healthwise Medical Associates, P.C., No. 24-CV-5287 (PKC) (JAM), United States District Court, E.D. New York (July 9, 2025)
Plaintiffs Government Employees Insurance Company and other GEICO companies (“GEICO”) sued Defendants Dominic Emeka Onyema, M.D. (“Onyema”), et al (collectively, “Defendants”) alleging breach of a settlement agreement entered into by the parties to resolve a previous, fraud-related lawsuit (the “Settlement Agreement”). GEICO moved the court for default judgment against ...
ZIFL – Volume 29, Issue 14
Post 5118
See the full video at https://lnkd.in/geddcnHj and at https://lnkd.in/g_rB9_th, and at https://zalma.com/blog plus more than 5100 posts.
You can read the full 20 page issue of the July 15, 2025 issue at https://lnkd.in/giaSdH29
THE SOURCE FOR THE INSURANCE FRAUD PROFESSIONAL
This issue contains the following articles about insurance fraud:
The Historical Basis of Punitive Damages
It is axiomatic that when a claim is denied for fraud that the fraudster will sue for breach of contract and the tort of bad faith and seek punitive damages.
The award of punitive-type damages was common in early legal systems and was mentioned in religious law as early as the Book of Exodus. Punitive-type damages were provided for in Babylonian law nearly 4000 years ago in the Code of Hammurabi.
You can read this article and the full 20 page issue of the July 15, 2025 issue at https://zalma.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/ZIFL-07-15-2025.pdf
Insurer Refuses to Submit to No Fault Insurance Fraud
...
Rulings on Motions Reduced the Issues to be Presented at Trial
Read the full article at https://lnkd.in/gwJKZnCP and at https://zalma/blog plus more than 5100 posts.
CASE OVERVIEW
In Richard Bernier v. State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company, No. 4:24-cv-00002-GMS, USDC, D. Alaska (May 28, 2025) Richard Bernier made claim under the underinsured motorist (UIM) coverage provided in his State Farm policy, was not satisfied with State Farm's offer and sued. Both parties tried to win by filing motions for summary judgment.
FACTS
Bernier was involved in an auto accident on November 18, 2020, and sought the maximum available UIM coverage under his policy, which was $50,000. State Farm initially offered him $31,342.36, which did not include prejudgment interest or attorney fees.
Prior to trial Bernier had three remaining claims against State Farm:
1. negligent and reckless claims handling;
2. violation of covenant of good faith and fair dealing; and
3. award of punitive damages.
Both Bernier and State Farm dispositive motions before ...
ZIFL Volume 29, Issue 10
The Source for the Insurance Fraud Professional
See the full video at https://lnkd.in/gK_P4-BK and at https://lnkd.in/g2Q7BHBu, and at https://zalma.com/blog and at https://lnkd.in/gjyMWHff.
Zalma’s Insurance Fraud Letter (ZIFL) continues its 29th year of publication dedicated to those involved in reducing the effect of insurance fraud. ZIFL is published 24 times a year by ClaimSchool and is written by Barry Zalma. It is provided FREE to anyone who visits the site at http://zalma.com/zalmas-insurance-fraud-letter-2/ You can read the full issue of the May 15, 2025 issue at http://zalma.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/ZIFL-05-15-2025.pdf
This issue contains the following articles about insurance fraud:
Health Care Fraud Trial Results in Murder for Hire of Witness
To Avoid Conviction for Insurance Fraud Defendants Murder Witness
In United States of America v. Louis Age, Jr.; Stanton Guillory; Louis Age, III; Ronald Wilson, Jr., No. 22-30656, United States Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit (April 25, 2025) the Fifth Circuit dealt with the ...
Professional Health Care Services Exclusion Effective
Post 5073
See the full video at https://lnkd.in/g-f6Tjm5 and at https://lnkd.in/gx3agRzi, and at https://zalma.com/blog plus more than 5050 posts.
This opinion is the recommendation of a Magistrate Judge to the District Court Judge and involves Travelers Casualty Insurance Company and its duty to defend the New Mexico Bone and Joint Institute (NMBJI) and its physicians in a medical negligence lawsuit brought by Tervon Dorsey.
In Travelers Casualty Insurance Company Of America v. New Mexico Bone And Joint Institute, P.C.; American Foundation Of Lower Extremity Surgery And Research, Inc., a New Mexico Corporation; Riley Rampton, DPM; Loren K. Spencer, DPM; Tervon Dorsey, individually; Kimberly Dorsey, individually; and Kate Ferlic as Guardian Ad Litem for K.D. and J.D., minors, No. 2:24-cv-0027 MV/DLM, United States District Court, D. New Mexico (May 8, 2025) the Magistrate Judge Recommended:
Insurance Coverage Dispute:
Travelers issued a Commercial General Liability ...