Beltsville Woman Convicted of Felony Insurance Fraud

BALTIMORE, MD ( September 16, 2009) - Attorney General Douglas F. Gansler announced today that Patricia Strong, 49, of Beltsville, was convicted in the Circuit Court for Prince George’s County of felony insurance fraud. Judge Michael Whalen sentenced Strong to a three year suspended sentence and one year supervised probation.

The investigation revealed that Strong’s home was burglarized between July 27 and August 1, 2008. On August 8, Strong submitted to State Farm, her insurance company, a document claiming lost property worth $172,000. She then supplemented the claim with a phone conversation with a State Farm representative on August 20. Confronted again on November 7, 2008, Strong admitted the claim was falsified and withdrew it.

The conviction follows a joint investigation by the Insurance Fraud Division of the Maryland Insurance Administration and the Office of the Attorney General. In making today’s announcement, Attorney General Gansler thanked Assistant Attorney General Benjamin A. Harris and Maryland State Trooper Mujaihid Jones for their work on the case.