Prince George's County Police Officer Convicted of Theft

BALTIMORE, MD ( May 18, 2010) -Attorney General Douglas F. Gansler announced today that David Wayne Johnson, 43, a Prince George’s County police officer from Temple Hills, pled guilty to a single count of insurance claim fraud. Montgomery County Circuit Court Judge Michael J. Algeo imposed a five year suspended sentence, five years probation, and ordered $15,000 in restitution and 100 hours of community service.

On September 3, 2006, while off duty, Johnson reported that his 2006 Toyota Tacoma truck was stolen from the 3600 block of Silver Park Drive in Oxon Hill. Subsequently, Johnson filed a claim with Erie Insurance Group, alleging that his truck had been stolen. In Novemr 2006, Erie paid $25,019 on Johnson’s claim.

On January 24, 2009, the truck was recovered in Cleveland, Ohio. The man driving the truck, Joe Houston, told police that Johnson had given him $1,000 to get rid of the truck but that he kept it instead. Johnson admitted to insurance investigator Thomas Grimes of the Insurance Fraud Division of the Maryland Insurance Administration and Maryland State Trooper Mujaihid Jones that he paid Houston to get rid of the truck, reported it stolen and filed a false claim with Erie.

The conviction follows a joint investigation by the Insurance Fraud Division of the Maryland Insurance Administration, the Maryland State Police and the Office of the Attorney General. In making today’s announcement, Attorney General Gansler thanked Assistant Attorney General Roberta Siskind for her work on the case.