A former Camden City, New Jersey police officer has been sentenced for insurance fraud for falsely claiming that vans used by his patient transportation business were only being driven for personal use, according to state officials.
Darryl Miller, 42, of Sicklerville, a 22-year veteran of the Camden Police Department, was ordered by Superior Court Judge Anthony M. Pugliese in Camden County to serve one year probation. He was required to forfeit his job and is permanently barred from public employment in New Jersey.
New Jersey Attorney General Anne Milgram and Criminal Justice Director Deborah L. Gramiccioni confirmed the sentencing in the case that was prosecuted by Greta Gooden Brown,
Miller pleaded guilty on Jan. 30 to insurance fraud, a charge contained in a Nov. 16, 2007 state grand jury indictment obtained by the Office of Insurance Fraud Prosecutor. He admitted that between Dec. 1, 2002 and Dec. 31, 2005, he defrauded New Jersey Manufacturers Insurance Co. by falsifying application and renewal forms for auto insurance policies.
In addition to being a police officer, Miller was a co-owner and operator of MJ Transportation Co. LLC, a non-emergency medical transportation business that transported patients from home to doctors' offices and other places for diagnostic testing and medical treatments. The Camden County Board of Social Services utilized MJ Transportation to transport patients to and from medical treatments.
According to prosecutors, Miller illegally obtained required insurance on the vans operated by MJ Transportation at a substantially lower cost by falsely claiming the vans were not being used in a commercial enterprise. Vehicle registration forms filed with the Motor Vehicle Commission falsely indicated the vans were only used for personal transportation. Miller made such misrepresentations concerning at least four transportation vans that were used commercially by MJ Transportation Co. As a result of the fraud, Miller saved approximately $9,000 per vehicle per year.
One of the vans was involved in a fatal accident in 2004. Due to the fraud, the victim's family was denied compensation, because the van was not properly insured. That matter is currently in litigation, officials said.
Charges filed against Miller's co-defendant, Fred Jefferson, were dismissed. Jefferson was the co-owner of MJ Transportation.
This case was referred to OIFP by the Special Investigative Unit of New Jersey Manufacturers Insurance Co., which initially uncovered the fraud and assisted OIFP in the investigation.
Source: The Office of Insurance Fraud ProsecutorNew Jersey Attorney General
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