May 14, 2015
Vinny Curbelo is facing an eight-year prison term when he is
sentenced next month.
Curbelo allegedly faked a work accident to get insurance
payment.
He also allegedly accepted disability payments.
NEW BRUNSWICK
– A Perth Amboy man has pleaded guilty to seven charges, some related to
allegedly getting his insurance company to cover the $500,000 cost of medical
treatment for faked injuries at his job.
Vinny Curbelo, 31, pleaded guilty Wednesday to multiple
charges related to two separate insurance fraud schemes, according to acting
Attorney General John J. Hoffman and the Office of the Insurance Fraud
Prosecutor.
Curbelo was indicted of the charges last November by two
state grand juries.
He pleaded guilty before Middlesex County Superior Court
Judge Michael Toto to health care claims fraud, theft by deception, insurance
fraud, and deception, theft by unlawful taking charges.
Curbelo is scheduled to receive an eight-year prison term
when he is sentenced June 22.
On Nov. 13, Curbelo was indicted for allegedly faking
an accident at his job site to get his insurance to cover the
half-million-dollar cost of medical treatment for injuries he had suffered
prior to his employment. In addition, he allegedly accepted approximately
$55,803 in temporary disability payments for two years following the faked
accident, though he was working under-the-table at Dawn's Auto Body in Keyport.
While employed there, he allegedly stole about $16,700 from the auto body
shop's bank accounts.
According to Hoffman, nine days later, Curbelo was indicted
for allegedly executing a complex scheme to steal about $23,000 from a credit
union and to defraud a car insurance company of more than $32,000 by forging
documents related to a stolen SUV.
"Curbelo sought illegitimate financial windfalls from
any source he could target, whether they were insurer, employer or
lender," said Hoffman. "His crimes were carefully calculated and
involved multiple layers of deceit."
"Aggressive prosecutions and appropriate prison terms,
such as those pursued in this case, serve as deterrent to anyone contemplating
the type of crimes Curbelo perpetrated," said Acting Insurance Fraud
Prosecutor Ronald Chillemi.
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PERTH AMBOY MAN CHARGED WITH FAKING FALL FOR DISABILITY
NOVEMBER 13, 2014
Man allegedly laid down next to a patch of ice, claimed he
had fallen and injured his back.
Story Highlights
State alleges man injured his back while he was unemployed
Indictment also alleges he stole from auto body shop where
he worked under the table
Curbelo allegedly collected $55,803 in disability payments
PERTH AMBOY – A
city man has been indicted on charges that he faked an accident, collected more
than $50,000 in disability and then worked under the table for an auto body
shop, from which he allegedly stole $16,700.
Vinny Curbelo, 31, has been indicted on charges of second-degree
health care claims fraud, second-degree theft by deception, second-degree
attempted theft by deception, second-degree insurance fraud, second-degree
computer criminal activity, third-degree theft by deception and third-degree
theft by unlawful taking.
"The defendant allegedly staged his accident by
pretending to suffer a fall, thus putting his employer's insurer on the hook
for treatment for an injury that he had suffered months before he was
employed," said Acting Attorney General John J. Hoffman. "These
alleged crimes were greedy and dishonest and were meant to shift responsibility
for the cost of his medical treatment to someone else."
In May 2010, Curbelo started working for DCH Honda in Old
Bridge. On Jan. 18, 2011, during normal working hours, Curbelo allegedly laid
down next to a patch of ice in the parking lot of the dealership, called for
assistance from his fellow employees, and claimed that he had slipped on the
ice and severely injured his back.
Based upon this claim, Curbelo received extensive medical
treatment on his back, including at least three major surgeries, valued at
approximately $527,873, of which approximately $140,213 was paid by the car dealership's
insurer, Gallagher Bassett.
According to the state Office of the Insurance Fraud
Prosecutor, Curbelo had first injured his back in March 2010 while he was
unemployed.
In addition, Curbelo claimed his injuries made him unable to
work and received from Gallagher Bassett approximately 49 biweekly
workers-compensation temporary disability payments in the amount of
approximately $55,803 from August 2011 to September 2013.
However, from approximately late 2011 through early 2013,
Curbelo was employed at Dawn's Auto Body in Keyport and was paid off the books
to allegedly ensure that his workers compensation payments would not be
interrupted.
In addition, the indictment alleges that Curbelo, while
employed at Dawn's Auto Body, used his access to the company's bank account and
stole $16,700 by making various electronic payments for personal items and also
to make payments to the credit card of his girlfriend.
Source: http://www.mycentraljersey.com