MITCHELLVILLE MAN CHARGED IN
PHONY AUTOMOBILE ACCIDENT SCAM

Attorney General J. Joseph Curran, Jr. announced today the filing of felony insurance fraud and felony theft charges against Charles L. Burton, Jr., 33, of Mitchellville. The filing of charges follows a joint investigation conducted by the Office of the Attorney General, the Insurance Fraud Division of the Maryland Insurance Administration and the Maryland State Police.

In a two count criminal information filed in the Circuit Court for Prince George's County, Burton was charged with committing felony insurance fraud and stealing approximately $270,000 from various insurance companies from February of 2000 through March 2003. The charges allege that Burton received the money as settlement proceeds for fraudulent insurance claims concerning reported automobile accidents that never occurred.

If convicted, Burton could face up to 15 years in prison on each count. No trial date has been set. A criminal information is merely an accusation of wrongdoing, and every individual is presumed innocent until the charges are proven by the State

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