Police Officer’s Involvement in Insurance Fraud Results in Jail
Post 4989
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Von Harris was convicted of bribery, forgery, and insurance fraud. He appealed his conviction and sentence. His appeal was denied, and the Court of Appeals upheld the conviction.
In State Of Ohio v. Von Harris, 2025-Ohio-279, No. 113618, Court of Appeals of Ohio, Eighth District (January 30, 2025) the Court of Appeals affirmed the conviction.
FACTUAL BACKGROUND
On January 23, 2024, the trial court sentenced Harris. The trial court sentenced Harris to six months in the county jail on Count 15; 12 months in prison on Counts 6, 8, 11, and 13; and 24 months in prison on Counts 5 and 10, with all counts running concurrent to one another for a total of 24 months in prison. The jury found Harris guilty based on his involvement in facilitating payments to an East Cleveland police officer, forging signatures, and creating false police reports to recover insurance proceeds.
Harris’s actions were taken at the request of George Michael Riley, Sr., an FBI informant who testified against him.
The FBI began investigating corruption in Northeast Ohio in May 2017. Riley, acting as an informant, provided information about Harris’s involvement in bribery and forgery.
Harris created false incident reports and auto recovery reports, forging signatures and providing them to Riley for payment. These reports were never filed with the police or submitted to the insurance company.
Harris was indicted on 16 counts, and the trial commenced on December 11, 2023. The jury heard testimonies from various witnesses, including Riley and FBI Agent Roth.
The Court of Appeals found sufficient evidence to support Harris’s bribery conviction, stating he was complicit in facilitating payments to Officer Johnson, a public servant.
Harris was found guilty of forgery for creating false documents and forging signatures without authorization.
The Court of Appeals upheld Harris’s insurance fraud conviction, stating he created false reports knowing they would be used to make a false claim to an insurance company.
The court rejected Harris’s entrapment defense, finding sufficient evidence of his predisposition to commit the crimes.
Harris’s bribery, forgery, and insurance fraud convictions were not against the manifest weight of the evidence. Conviction was affirmed.
ZALMA OPINION
There is nothing that upsets judges, juries and prosecutors than a police officer who enriches himself by engaging in criminal activity. Harris was involved in criminal conduct working in a conspiracy to commit insurance fraud by means of information available to him as a police officer. He was convicted and his appeals resulted in multiple pages of analysis by the appellate court that found the appeal had no merit and he must serve the twelve months in prison.
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Concealing a Weapon Used in a Murder is an Intentional & Criminal Act
Post 5002
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In Howard I. Rosenberg; Kimberly L. Rosenberg v. Chubb Indemnity Insurance Company Howard I. Rosenberg; Kimberly L. Rosenberg; Kimberly L. Rosenberg; Howard I. Rosenberg v. Hudson Insurance Company, No. 22-3275, United States Court of Appeals, Third Circuit (February 11, 2025) the Third Circuit resolved whether the insurers owed a defense for murder and acts performed to hide the fact of a murder and the murder weapon.
FACTUAL BACKGROUND
Adam Rosenberg and Christian Moore-Rouse befriended one another while they were students at the Community College of Allegheny County. On December 21, 2019, however, while at his parents’ house, Adam shot twenty-two-year-old Christian in the back of the head with a nine-millimeter Ruger SR9C handgun. Adam then dragged...
Renewal Notices Sent Electronically Are Legal, Approved by the State and Effective
Post 5000
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Washington state law allows insurers to deliver insurance notices and documents electronically if the party has affirmatively consented to that method of delivery and has not withdrawn the consent. The Plaintiffs argued that the terms and conditions statement was not “conspicuous” because it was hidden behind a hyperlink included in a single line of small text. The court found that the statement was sufficiently conspicuous as it was bolded and set off from the surrounding text in bright blue text.
In James Hughes et al. v. American Strategic Insurance Corp et al., No. 3:24-cv-05114-DGE, United States District Court (February 14, 2025) the USDC resolved the dispute.
The court’s reasoning focused on two main points:
1 whether the ...
Rescission in Michigan Requires Preprocurement Fraud
Post 4999
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Lie About Where Vehicle Was Garaged After Policy Inception Not Basis for Rescission
This appeal turns on whether fraud occurred in relation to an April 26, 2018 renewal contract for a policy of insurance under the no-fault act issued by plaintiff, Encompass Indemnity Company (“Encompass”).
In Samuel Tourkow, by David Tourkow v. Michael Thomas Fox, and Sweet Insurance Agency, formerly known as Verbiest Insurance Agency, Inc., Third-Party Defendant-Appellee. Encompass Indemnity Company, et al, Nos. 367494, 367512, Court of Appeals of Michigan (February 12, 2025) resolved the claims.
The plaintiff, Encompass Indemnity Company, issued a no-fault insurance policy to Jon and Joyce Fox, with Michael Fox added as an additional insured. The dispute centers on whether fraud occurred in...
Insurance Fraud Leads to Violent Crime
Post 4990
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CRIMINAL CONDUCT NEVER GETS BETTER
In The People v. Dennis Lee Givens, B330497, California Court of Appeals, Second District, Eighth Division (February 3, 2025) Givens appealed to reverse his conviction for human trafficking and sought an order for a new trial.
FACTS
In September 2020, Givens matched with J.C. on the dating app “Tagged.” J.C., who was 20 years old at the time, had known Givens since childhood because their mothers were best friends. After matching, J.C. and Givens saw each other daily, and J.C. began working as a prostitute under Givens’s direction.
Givens set quotas for J.C., took her earnings, and threatened her when she failed to meet his demands. In February 2022, J.C. confided in her mother who then contacted the Los Angeles Police Department. The police ...
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To Dispute an Arbitration Finding Party Must File Dispute Within 20 Days
Post 4988
EXCUSABLE NEGLECT SUFFICIENT TO DISPUTE ARBITRATION LATE
In Howard Roy Housen and Valerie Housen v. Universal Property & Casualty Insurance Company, No. 4D2023-2720, Florida Court of Appeals, Fourth District (January 22, 2025) the Housens appealed a final judgment in their breach of contract action.
FACTS
The Housens filed an insurance claim with Universal, which was denied, leading them to file a breach of contract action. The parties agreed to non-binding arbitration which resulted in an award not
favorable to the Housens. However, the Housens failed to file a notice of rejection of the arbitration decision within the required 20 days. Instead, they filed a motion for a new trial 29 days after the arbitrator’s decision, citing a clerical error for the delay.
The circuit court ...
What is the Meaning of “Void”
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“Void” can mean either void or voidable. Void is defined as “of no legal force or effect and so incapable of confirmation or ratification.”
Voidable is defined as “capable of being adjudged void, invalid and of no force (a voidable contract may be set aside usually at the option of one party).”[1] The Restatement 2d of Contracts defines a “voidable contract” as a valid transaction with legal consequences until the power of avoidance is exercised.
Although jurisdictions are split as to the meaning of void in this context the distinction is largely semantic since the actions required of insurers wishing to dispose of a void or voidable insurance contract are ultimately the same.
The full article is available only to subscribers to Excellence in Claims ...
