CATONSVILLE MAN JAILED FOR INSURANCE FRAUD

Attorney General J. Joseph Curran, Jr., announced today that Keith Lowe, 29, of Catonsville, pleaded guilty in Baltimore County Circuit Court to one count of Felony Insurance Fraud. The conviction follows a joint investigation conducted by the Insurance Fraud Division of the Maryland Insurance Administration and the Office of the Attorney General. The charges stemmed from allegations that on June 8, 2001, Lowe submitted a false insurance claim in excess of $300 for property loss resulting from a "padded" insurance claim arising from losses from a burglary that did not occur.

According to the statement of facts given in support of the plea, Lowe not only submitted a fraudulent claim for a burglary that did not occur, he altered receipts submitted to State Farm, signed his father's name on insurance forms and filed nine suspicious claims on his auto and home owner policies within one year.

"Mr. Lowe simply filed a claim for losses resulting from a burglary that never occurred," Attorney General Curran said. "The Office of the Attorney General will continue to work with the Maryland Insurance Administration to aggressively investigate and prosecute Insurance Fraud."

The Honorable Dana M. Levitz, sentenced Lowe to five years incarceration, suspending all but 90 days, to be served in the Baltimore County Detention Center. Lowe will be required to serve four years of supervised probation after his release, and to pay State Farm Insurance Company $3,701.02 in restitution.

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