Jury Finds California Woman Guilty On Multiple Counts of Insurance Fraud

Jill Audette, 28, of San Diego, Calif., was convicted on five felony counts of insurance fraud and leaving the scene of a collision after falsely claiming her car was stolen and involved in a hit and run collision. Audette’s sentencing was Monday in San Diego Superior Court.

On Sept. 2, 2013, Audette reportedly contacted Progressive Casualty Insurance Co. and reported her car was stolen, claiming someone took her keys. The insurer settled the claim for $8,981 to cover the damages to Audette’s vehicle.

After reporting the alleged theft to her insurance company, Audette called San Diego Police to report the stolen car, but the police informed her that they had a report from a witness that her car was involved in a hit and run, according to investigators. Audette’s 2013 Hyundai was impounded as evidence.

While investigating the case, San Diego police uncovered possible evidence of fraud and referred the case to the California Department of Insurance for investigation. In the subsequent investigation, detectives found evidence that Audette was allegedly driving when she hit the parked cars, fled the scene, and then reported her car stolen. A jury convicted Audette of multiple felony counts of insurance fraud and leaving the scene of a collision. She faces up to two years in jail.

Audette was on probation until December 2017 for two previous DUI convictions at the time of the collision that led to the insurance fraud arrest.