San Francisco Adjuster Convicted for Insurance Fraud

Allstate Insurance Company and several Allstate-insured homeowners were allegedly defrauded after the 1994 Northridge earthquake by insurance adjuster, Harry Miller, who was recently convicted of federal fraud charges.

A federal jury in United States District Court in Los Angeles found Miller, who also used the name Harry Booth, a 57-year-old resident of Pompano Beach, Fla. guilty.

The jury determined that Miller, who is the fifth defendant convicted in this case, was guilty of conspiracy, four counts of mail fraud, three counts of wire fraud and two counts of money laundering.
Miller, who worked in Glendale following the Jan. 1994 earthquake, was an adjuster for Allstate who was supposed to resolve homeowners’ claims for property damage after the event. He allegedly conspired with employees of an engineering firm and a construction company to produce grossly inflated bills to repair earthquake-damaged homes.

The employees of the engineering firm and the construction company reportedly paid Miller kickbacks. The kickbacks totaled over $110,000 in checks and cash. The engineering company and the construction company caused Allstate to overpay at least $1.5 million.

This case is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the United States Postal Inspection Service and IRS-Criminal Investigation.

Miller faces a maximum possible sentence of 60 years in prison.