Indictment: Cliffside Park Couple Got Son To Lie In $20G Car Insurance Scam
NOVEMBER 4, 2016
CLIFFSIDE PARK, N.J. – A Cliffside Park couple got their young son to lie in a bid to scam their insurance company out of $20,000 by claiming someone stole their Camry from an Edgewater store parking lot, state authorities charged.
Younes Abuali, 53, and his wife, 28-year-old Safnaz Abuali, were indicted by a grand jury on conspiracy, insurance fraud and attempted theft by deception charges, Attorney General Christopher S. Porrino said Friday.
Safnaz Abuali also was charged with theft by deception, false swearing and an additional insurance fraud count for claiming she was single and lived alone, the attorney general said.
Besides lying to Progessive Insurance about what happened to their 2014 Toyota, the indictment alleges, the couple “enlisted Younes Abuali’s young son to make false statements,” Porrino said.
“Insurance companies rely on customers to provide them with truthful and accurate information, allowing them to rate policies and calculate premiums” said Christopher Iu, the state’s Acting Insurance Fraud Prosecutor. “Those who deliberately provide misleading information to benefit themselves undermine the integrity of the system and will face serious consequences for their actions.”
Younes Abuali faces a maximum term of 30 years in state prison and a penalty of $330,000.
Safnaz Abuali faces a maximum term of more than 50 years in state prison and a penalty of $365,000.
Deputy Attorney General Fernando D. Maldonado presented the case to the grand jury. Detectives Amy Carson and Erin Lukowiak coordinated the investigation.