Pennsylvania Man Charged With Filing Fraudulent Insurance Claims in New Jersey

A Pennsylvania man has been charged with filing nearly $50,000 in fraudulent insurance claims for items allegedly lost or stolen while he was traveling around the country.

Robert Cirino of Reading, Penn., was indicted on charges of second-degree insurance fraud and third-degree theft by deception in connection with five fraudulent claims he allegedly filed seeking payouts on homeowners or renters insurance policies on properties in Jersey City, Newark and Elizabeth, N.J.

The charges were contained in an indictment handed up by a state grand jury in Trenton, N.J.

Cirino is charged with submitting five fraudulent claims to Travelers Insurance between September 2015 and February 2017. According to the indictment, Cirino, who also uses the names Rafael Diaz, Michael Cirino, Christopher Sanchez and Robert Cirino, provided fraudulent receipts, invoices and other documents in support of the fraudulent claims. Travelers Insurance paid out $27,700 on two claims but denied three others.

The indictment is merely an accusation, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty. Second-degree charges in New Jersey carry a sentence of five-to-10 years in state prison and a fine of up to $150,000. Third-degree crimes in New Jersey carry a sentence of three-to-five years in state prison and a criminal fine of up to $15,000.

Deputy Attorney General Crystal Callahan presented the case to the grand jury. Detectives Amy Carson and John Cicchino coordinated the investigation.