On January 28, 2026, Office of Attorney General special agents arrested 32 year old Raquel J. Dovales of Reading, PA and charged her with two counts of Insurance Fraud and one count each of Attempted Theft by Deception and Criminal Use of Communication Facility. According to the criminal complaint, on September 13, 2023, Dovales’s automotive insurance policy with the Progressive Insurance Company lapsed due to nonpayment. On September 23, 2023, at 3:15 PM, the Upper Merion Township Police Department was notified of a vehicle accident and arrived shortly thereafter. Before their arrival, Dovales reinstated her policy and electronically signed a Statement of No Loss. She filed a claim the following day. During a recorded interview, Dovales stated that the loss happened after she had reinstated the policy. When presented with contrary evidence, however, Dovales subsequently admitted that the loss happened before she reinstated the policy. The claim was denied.
On January 20, 2026, detectives of the Delaware County District Attorney’s Office filed a criminal complaint charging 40 year old Michael A. Brown of Drexel Hill, PA with Insurance Fraud, Criminal Use of Communication Facility and Theft by Unlawful Taking. According to the complaint, it is alleged that Brown falsely claimed to GEICO Secure Insurance Company that he was a passenger in his vehicle during an accident and received $5,000 for medical bills for injuries he claimed he sustained. Reportedly, an investigation reportedly revealed through witness interviews that Brown was not in the vehicle when the accident occurred and was not present at the scene of the accident.
On January 21, 2026, Office of Attorney General special agents arrested 32 year old Timothy DiFiore, Jr. of Philadelphia, PA and charged him with Insurance Fraud, Attempted Theft by Deception and Criminal Use of Communication Facility. According to the criminal complaint, on June 21, 2024, at 12:56 PM, DiFiore called the Progressive Insurance Company to make an auto-accident claim. DiFiore told Progressive that he was driving his work van, a 2016 Ram ProMaster City, when an unidentified car forced him to veer off the road and strike a guardrail, which caused disabling damage to the passenger-side front bumper and fender, and the airbags to deploy. On June 21, 2024, at 1:11 PM, after DiFiore made his claim, he completed his online purchase of a Progressive Insurance Company automobile policy and named himself as the only insured driver. Investigators requested the Montgomery Township Police Department’s Accident Report, which revealed that the accident date and time were June 21, 2024, at 10:52 AM, and that the listed driver of the van at the time of the accident was an employee for DiFiore. The claim was ultimately denied for misrepresentation.
On January 21, 2026, Office of Attorney General special agents arrested 41 year old Stacy L. Parisella of Williamsport, PA and charged her with Insurance Fraud and Attempted Theft by Deception. According to the criminal complaint, on April 24, 2025, at 3:42 PM, Parisella obtained an automobile insurance policy with the Progressive Insurance Company for a 2014 Jeep Cherokee and digitally signed the application. The following day at 3:25 PM, via a phone application, Parisella reported to Progressive that she was involved in an accident in Williamsport. She stated that the accident occurred at 7:47 PM. To support her claim, she provided a recorded statement to Progressive and provided a copy of a City of Williamsport Crash/Towing Report notating the date and time of the accident as April 24, 2025, at 7:47 PM. Investigators requested a copy of the Crash/Towing Report and determined that the document Parisella provided to Progressive had been altered and that the actual incident occurred at 2:47 PM, which was before the policy inception. Investigators interviewed Parisella, who admitted to being at her home when making the claim, misrepresenting the time of the accident, and altering the City of Williamsport Crash/Towing Report to have Progressive cover the damage to her vehicle. Progressive denied the claim.
On January 20, 2026, Office of Attorney General special agents arrested 42 year old Aaron M. Iben of Kingston, PA and charged him with Insurance Fraud, Attempted Theft by Deception and False Reports. According to the criminal complaint, Iben secured an auto insurance policy with the Progressive Insurance Company on June 11, 2020. Iben added the 2015 Jeep Cherokee on February 13, 2024. On May 5, 2024, Iben filed a police report with the Hanover Township Police Department and reported that his 2015 Jeep Cherokee had been stolen while parked near his residence in Hanover Township sometime on May 4, 2024, between 7:00 PM and 1:00 PM on May 5, 2024. Iben also reported having only one key to the vehicle, which was still in his possession at the time the police report was filed. Investigators obtained video footage from neighboring cameras, which showed the vehicle being moved at 9:30 AM on May 5, 2024. Upon further review of the video footage, two males arrive in front of Iben’s residence in a black pickup truck towing an enclosed cargo-type trailer. The three men push Iben’s vehicle from the parked space onto the enclosed trailer and then drive away. During the investigation, the identities of the men helping Iben were confirmed. After interviewing both men from the video, it was discovered that they had no knowledge that the vehicle was later reported stolen by Iben. Investigators interviewed Iben again on May 5, 2024, at approximately 7:50 PM, and confronted him with video footage obtained of the surrounding neighborhood. Iben denied having knowledge of the two males or helping load his vehicle onto a trailer. Iben was shown photographic evidence obtained by investigators, at which point Iben ended the interview. The claim was denied.
On January 20, 2026, Office of Attorney General special agents arrested 24 year old Tayton A. Espinosa of Mount Joy, PA and charged him with two counts of Insurance Fraud. According to the criminal complaint, Espinosa had a Progressive Insurance Company automobile policy with effective dates of August 4, 2024, through February 4, 2025, for a 2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee. On September 30, 2024, Espinosa’s policy was canceled for nonpayment, and a letter was mailed on September 13, 2024. Espinosa reinstated his policy on October 6, 2024, at 8:25 PM and signed a Statement of No Loss at 8:24 PM. On October 7, 2024, Progressive received a telephone call from a claimant reporting an automobile accident that involved Espinosa’s Jeep Grand Cherokee. On a recorded line with Progressive, Espinosa reported that the accident occurred on October 6, 2024, around 7:30 PM, in West Hempfield Township, Lancaster County, PA. On October 9, 2024, during a recorded statement with Progressive, Espinosa stated the accident occurred after the reinstatement of the policy at approximately 9:00-10:00 PM. On December 2, 2025, investigators obtained a copy of the West Hempfield Township Police Department incident report and the dispatch report, both showing the time of the accident at approximately 7:30 PM on October 6, 2024. Progressive denied the claim.
On January 16, 2026, detectives of the Northeast Pennsylvania Insurance Fraud Task Force filed a criminal complaint charging 29 year old David J. Vanderpool of Athens, PA with Insurance Fraud. According to the complaint, Vanderpool added comprehensive coverage to his GEICO Insurance policy with a $50 deductible as well as rental coverage to become effective October 28, 2026. On October 30, 2026, Vanderpool reported a claim to GEICO, stating that he struck a deer and subsequently drove his vehicle to Schultz Auto Body for repairs. According to the complaint, an investigation reportedly revealed that Vanderpool’s vehicle had been taken to the repair facility on October 24, 2025, and that the damage had been the result of a deer strike that had occurred approximately four days prior to the effective date of the comprehensive coverage.
On January 15, 2026, detectives of the Delaware County District Attorney’s Office arrested 53 year old Malinda Trotta of Newark, DE and charged her with Insurance Fraud. According to the criminal complaint, Trotta alleged to Erie Insurance that her 2013 Kia Optima was damaged in a hit-and-run incident in a supermarket parking lot in Lansdowne, PA on November 5, 2024. However, evidence gathered in an investigation reportedly showed the damage occurred during a collision somewhere else on the same day. Trotta reportedly claimed she had a seizure and did not recall the incident. According to the complaint, Trotta later filed an online report with police and allegedly provided false information as to the location and circumstances of the damage. The complaint lists the potential loss of the fraudulent claim was $10,203.
On January 14, 2026, Office of Attorney General special agents arrested 63 year old James A. Stratton of Huntingdon Valley, PA and charged him with Insurance Fraud, Attempted Theft by Deception and Criminal Use of Communication Facility. According to the criminal complaint, Stratton’s automobile insurance policy with GEICO Insurance Company lapsed due to nonpayment. On November 6, 2024, Stratton was involved in a minor one-vehicle crash in New Jersey, and police responded. Following the crash, Stratton repeatedly attempted to reinstate his policy and was ultimately successful. He filed a claim the following day. Stratton reported that the crash occurred after he had reinstated the policy, that he had not driven the vehicle during the lapse period, and provided particular information about the cause of the loss. All three statements were contradictory to the police report that documented the actual crash. The claim was denied.
On January 13, 2026, detectives of the Allegheny County District Attorney’s Office arrested 20 year old Tyrin J. Bowie of Pittsburgh, PA and charged him with Insurance Fraud. According to the criminal complaint, Bowie filed a claim for an accident and allegedly told Progressive Insurance the incident occurred on August 29, 2025. However, photo metadata dated August 26, 2026, that was submitted as evidence showed Bowie’s vehicle had damage a day prior to his insurance policy becoming effective.