N.H. Man Fined in Restaurant Insurance Fraud

A Portsmouth, N.H. man was fined and given a suspended prison sentence after pleading guilty to trying to defraud his insurance company, according to officials.

The case goes back to 2003, when Jesse Gregoire got into a fight at a Portsmouth restaurant and threw a bottle that damaged the restaurant’s entertainment unit. He pleaded guilty to telling the insurance company that covers his business that he had accidentally caused the damage while working at the establishment and trying to get the restaurant owner to go along with the story.

Gregoire was given two suspended sentences, fined $2,000 and ordered to pay $3,600 for the damage.

The state Insurance Department says insurance fraud accounts for at least 10 percent of premiums paid by consumers.