Post 5254
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Help a Person Commit Insurance Fraud & Go to Jail
Guilty of Tampering With Evidence by Hiding it in Garage
In State Of Montana v. Lila Lynn Lord, 2025 MT 302, No. DA 24-0343, Supreme Court of Montana (December 30, 2025) Lila Lord (Lord) appealed her conviction for Tampering with Evidence following a jury trial in the Seventh Judicial District Court, Richland County. The case centered on a staged burglary in Sidney, Montana, orchestrated by Marie Chris Entzel with the intent to collect insurance proceeds to cover her son’s legal fees. Entzel recruited several individuals — including David Skaw, Lawrence Pohl, Laurie McGregor, and the defendant, Lila Lord — to assist in removing valuable items from her home, causing property damage and theft of items such as an enclosed trailer, boat and trailer, refrigerator, pistol, and television.
Entzel’s husband was away and unaware of the plan; upon his return, he reported the incident to police, prompting an investigation. Entzel was charged with insurance fraud and false reports, but not with tampering with evidence. Lord was charged with conspiracy to commit insurance fraud and tampering with evidence for allegedly taking and hiding stolen items at her residence while knowing an official investigation was underway.
FACTUAL BACKGROUND
The State alleged that Entzel, Skaw, Lawrence Pohl (Pohl), Laurie McGregor, and Defendant Lord, among others, were involved in the staged burglary.
The State called Entzel, Skaw, and Officer Norby to testify. Although Entzel and Skaw had both entered guilty pleas before Lord’s trial, neither was compelled to testify as part of their plea agreements. By the time Skaw had returned 1-2 hours later, Lord was done taking apart the refrigerator.
Lord, Skaw, and Entzel loaded the refrigerator’s doors into Lord’s vehicle and the body of the refrigerator into Entzel’s truck. Entzel testified that Lord was fully aware of the insurance fraud scheme.
The jury found Lord not guilty of conspiracy to commit insurance fraud, and guilty of tampering with evidence.
LEGAL ISSUES:
On appeal, Lord challenged her conviction for tampering with evidence, raising several legal questions:
1. whether the District Court erred in denying her proposed accomplice jury instruction;
2. whether the court wrongly denied her request to allow a witness (Pohl) to testify remotely by video; and
3. whether the court erred by denying her motion for a directed verdict based on insufficient corroboration of accomplice testimony.
These issues focus on the fairness of trial procedures and the sufficiency of evidence supporting her conviction.
Did The District Court Err By Denying Defendant’s Request For A Witness To Testify By Video?
Two days before trial, Lord moved the District Court for leave for witness Lawrence Pohl to appear and testify by video, which was denied. Because Lord was ultimately acquitted of the conspiracy to commit insurance fraud charge, she suffered no prejudice from Pohl’s failure to testify.
Did The District Court Err By Denying Defendant’s Directed Verdict Motion Based On Insufficient Corroboration Of An Accomplice’s Testimony?
The Court of Appeals concluded that Entzel and Lord were not accomplices for purposes of an accomplice instruction, given Lord’s innocence defense, and as such, the State was not burdened to corroborate Entzel’s testimony. Based on the court’s review of the record it found there was sufficient evidence to support the District Court’s denial.
Lord admitted when police officers informed Lord that Entzel’s boat had been seen in her garage, Lord replied that she was at least aware a boat had been placed in her garage.
Construing the evidence in a light most favorable to the State, a rational jury could have found from this direct and circumstantial evidence that Lord had concealed or tampered with evidence, that is, Entzel’s property, while knowing that an official proceeding or investigation was about to be instituted.
ZALMA OPINION
It takes a great amount of gall for a person to assist in a criminal act – taking possession of property the defendant knew would be claimed stolen as part of an insurance fraud scheme. Lord was only convicted of taking possession of the property – a refrigerator and a boat – to assist the insurance fraud scheme. To then appeal wanting to make the originator of the crime help her avoid conviction was, as it should be, unsuccessful.
(c) 2025 Barry Zalma & ClaimSchool, Inc.
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Arsonist Tried To Represent Himself, Failed, and Sought Habeas Relief
Post number 5357
Read the full article at https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/he-who-acts-his-own-lawyer-has-idiot-client-barry-zalma-esq-cfe-d4bwc, See the full video at and at and at https://zalma.com/blog.
Karacson’s Arson for Profit Attempt Required Skill & Experience to Succeed
In Steve Ellis Karacson v. David Shaver, Warden, No. 25-1089, United States Court of Appeals, Sixth Circuit (May 20, 2026) Steve Karacson was convicted in Michigan state court of arson and insurance fraud after evidence showed he burned his own insured home. Investigators found multiple points of origin, gasoline odor, and evidence tying him to the scene, including cell-phone location data and a receipt showing he had purchased a gas can and gloves shortly before the fire.
FACTS
Karacson initially had appointed counsel, but his relationships with both appointed attorneys ...
Foolish to Repeatedly Disobey Court Orders
All That Remains For Trial Is Plaintiff’s Damages On Each Of These Claims And Establishing Proximate Causation Of Those Damages.
Post number 5348
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In Linh Wang v. Esurance Insurance Company, No. C24-0447-JCC, United States District Court, W.D. Washington, Seattle (May 1, 2026) John C. Coughenour, United States District Judge, found that throughout this case, culminating with its briefing on Plaintiff’s renewed motion and that Defendant has subjected Plaintiff to unnecessary motion practice for clearly discoverable information and made dubious representations (including to the Court).
FACTUAL BACKGROUND
This case involves an underinsured/uninsured motorist insurance bad faith claim arising from a 2017 motor vehicle collision. The plaintiff, Linh Wang, alleges that Esurance Insurance ...
The Right to Negotiate with Insurer is Not an Assignment of Claims
Post number 5347
Read the full article at https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/ambiguous-contract-repair-assignment-barry-zalma-esq-cfe-2xppc, see the full video at https://rumble.com/v79is1s-ambiguous-contract-to-repair-not-an-assignment.html and at and at https://zalma.com/blog plus more than 5300 posts.
Nebraska Requires an Actual Assignment to Allow Contractor to Sue Insurer
In Millard Gutter Company, a corporation doing business as Millard Roofing and Gutter v. Farmers Mutual Insurance Company of Nebraska, also known as Farmers Mutual Insurance, also known as Farmers Mutual, No. A-24-818, Court of Appeals of Nebraska (May 5, 2026) Millard sued Farmers as an assignee of Jane Anzalone who had hired Millard Gutter to repair the roof of her home and agreed to allow Millard Gutter to coordinate with her insurer, Farmers Mutual, concerning reimbursement for repairs authorized under her insurance policy.
FACTUAL BACKGROUND
In ...
Court Allows itself to be Abused by Convicted Murderer and Insurance Fraudster
A Prisoner Has a Limited Right to file a Habeas Petition but Must do so Properly
Post number 5387
Posted on July 6, 2026 by Barry Zalma
Court Allows itself to be Abused by Convicted Murderer and Insurance Fraudster
A Prisoner Has a Limited Right to file a Habeas Petition but Must do so Properly
Post number 5387
In Tami Duvall v. State Of Indiana, No. 1:25-cv-01239-SEB-TAB, United States District Court, S.D. Indiana, Indianapolis Division (July 1, 2026) Indiana prisoner Tami Duvall filed a habeas petition under 28 U.S.C. § 2254 challenging her 2011 Indiana convictions for murder, insurance fraud, and obstruction of justice.
Law:
Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 15(a) governs amendment of pleadings, allowing amendment as of course within specified time limits and otherwise permitting amendment with leave of court when justice so requires.
Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 12(f) permits the Court to strike redundant matter. Rule 5 of the Rules ...
It is a Crime to Lie to Your Insurer That Accident Happened After Policy Inception
Post number 5386
Posted on July 3, 2026 by Barry Zalma
Conviction for Fraud Affirmed Because Evidence Overwhelming
In State Of Washington v. Saleem Mumin Robinson, No. 87244-3-I, Court of Appeals of Washington, Division 1 (June 29, 2026) Saleem Robinson was involved in an automobile collision on May 18, 2021. The other driver, Mohamed Waggeh, photographed Robinson’s documents and later reported the collision to GEICO, identifying the time as approximately 12:40 p.m.
That same day, at 6:06 p.m., more than five hours after the accident, Robinson purchased Progressive insurance for the vehicle involved in the collision.
The next morning, Robinson called Progressive to report the claim and stated that the accident occurred around 6:15 p.m. Progressive recorded that call without advising Robinson that it was being recorded. Progressive later conducted a special investigative unit investigation the claim because it was submitted shortly ...
Deprive Insurer of the Ability to Properly and Timely Investigate Claim & Recover Nothing
Posted on July 2, 2026 by Barry Zalma
Post number 5385
No Contract Claim No Bad Faith Claim
In South Alexander Development I, LLC v.Markel American Insurance Co., Civil Action No. 23-1436-JWD-SDJ, United States District Court, M.D. Louisiana (June 24, 2026) South Alexander Development I, LLC (SADI) owned and operated a solar farm in Springfield, Louisiana that allegedly sustained significant Hurricane Ida damage.
After SADI submitted a claim, MAIC ultimately paid $1,099,614.02 for undisputed physical damage plus the $210,000 income-loss policy limit. SADI later sued for breach of contract and statutory bad faith, contending MAIC failed to fully investigate and adjust the claim; MAIC sought summary judgment, arguing SADI failed to cooperate and withheld material repair-cost information.
LAW:
Louisiana insurance policies are interpreted as contracts according to their plain meaning, and the insured bears the burden ...
