PRINCE GEORGE’S MAN CHARGED WITH INSURANCE FRAUD

Attorney General J. Joseph Curran, Jr., announced today the filing of criminal insurance fraud charges against Latif Abdul Khabeer of Prince George’s County. In a three count criminal indictment filed in the Circuit Court for Howard County on April 9, 2003, Khabeer was charged with filing two false insurance claims and attempted theft.

The charges allege that between December 26, 1998 and April 6, 1999 Khabeer filed a false insurance claim with Allstate Insurance Company for stolen property valued at $53,500. Additional charges allege that between June 12, 2002 and July 22, 2002 Khabeer filed a false claim with State Farm Insurance Companies for stolen property valued at $23,500.

If convicted, Khabeer could be sentenced to serve 15 years in prison and fined $10,000 for each insurance fraud count; and 15 years in prison and fined $1,000 for attempted theft.

The indictments and criminal information follow a joint investigation conducted by the Insurance Fraud Division of the Maryland Insurance Administration, the Maryland State Police and the Office of the Attorney General. A criminal indictment or criminal information is merely an accusation of wrongdoing, and every individual is presumed innocent until the charges are proven by the State. No trial date has been set.

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