WALDORF WOMAN, ON PROBATION FOR INSURANCE FRAUD, CHARGED AGAIN

Attorney General J. Joseph Curran, Jr., announced today the filing of criminal insurance fraud charges against Dorothy Faye Mortimer, 61, of Waldorf, Maryland. In a five (5) count criminal information filed in the Circuit Court for Prince George’s County, Mortimer was charged with misappropriation of insurance premiums, felony theft, exhibiting false documents about the affairs of insurers and acting as an insurance producer without being licensed to do so. The indictments follow a joint investigation conducted by the Insurance Fraud Division of the Maryland Insurance Administration and the Office of the Attorney General. A criminal information is merely an accusation of wrongdoing, and every individual is presumed innocent until the charges are proven by the State.

The charges allege that on May 8, 2003 Mortimer misappropriated and stole $1,800 in insurance premium payments from Preeminent Protective Services. The charges also allege that on May 7, 2003 Mortimer acted as an insurance producer despite the fact that she was not licensed to do so. Finally, the criminal information contains an allegation that on November 18, 2003, Mortimer, with the intent to deceive, exhibited a document, namely a “Certificate of Liability Insurance”, certifying that an insurance policy had been issued to Preeminent Protective Services, Inc. when in fact there was no such policy in effect.

Mortimer has been found guilty of violating the insurance fraud laws of the State of Maryland on two prior occasions. She was found guilty August 14, 2000 of failing to return premium payments and was granted probation before judgement. Mortimer was subsequently convicted on November 30, 2001 of misappropriation of premium payments. She was sentenced to eight years in prison of which she was ordered to serve eighteen months of home detention. The remaining six and one-half years of incarceration was suspended in favor of probation. Mortimer was on probation at the time of the alleged misconduct in the current criminal information.

The court has granted Mortimer personal recognizance pending trial but she has been prohibited from being at her place of business, Callis and Faulkner Insurance Agency on Allentown Road in Camp Springs, or working in the insurance industry. Trial has been scheduled for June 7, 2004. If convicted of insurance fraud, Mortimer could be sentenced to serve 15 years in prison and fined $10,000. If convicted of felony theft, Mortimer could be sentenced to serve 15 years in prison and fined $1,000. If convicted of acting as an insurance producer while not being licensed to conduct such business Mortimer could be sentenced to up to fifteen years incarceration and up to a $10,000 fine if convicted of the felony misconduct, or up to eighteen months incarceration and up to a $10,000 fine for the misdemeanor misconduct.

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