TRENTON –Attorney General Christopher S. Porrino and the Office of the Insurance Fraud Prosecutor today announced that an Essex County man has been sentenced to five years in state prison for orchestrating a staged automobile accident and later seeking more than $25,000 in payouts for medical treatment from his insurer.
Jerry Previlon, 30, of Irvington, was sentenced in accordance with a plea agreement reached when he pleaded guilty to second-degree insurance fraud last year. The sentence was handed down by Judge Michael Ravin in Essex County Superior Court on Friday.
“This defendant showed no concern for the safety of the motorists, passengers, and pedestrians he endangered when he staged a crash to illegally collect insurance payouts,” said Attorney General Christopher S. Porrino. “His careless greed in committing this crime more than justifies the five years he will spend behind bars.”
“This sentence should serve as a deterrent to anyone thinking of illegally manipulating the insurance system for profit,” said Acting Insurance Fraud Prosecutor Christopher Iu. “Insurance fraud isn’t a path to easy money; it’s a path to prison.”
In August 2015 Previlon and his former girlfriend, twenty-three-year-old Yasmeen Louis of Union, were charged with second-degree insurance fraud, second-degree conspiracy, third-degree attempted theft by deception and third-degree tampering with public records or information.
Louis was admitted into the Pre-Trial Intervention program in April 2016.
According to the indictment, in September 2012, Louis was driving a 1999 Pontiac Grand Prix, with Previlon riding in the passenger seat and two other individuals riding in the back when the car was struck by another vehicle in Newark. According to Louis’ sworn statement to investigators, the unidentified driver of the other vehicle, who Louis stated was an acquaintance of Previlon, then exited his vehicle, entered a third vehicle driven by another unidentified driver, and fled the scene of the accident. The indictment alleged that over the next several months Previlon and Louis filed 28 claims each that totaled approximately $25,100 with Liberty Mutual for various medical treatments at South Orange Trauma Center.
Deputy Attorney General Michael Clore represented the state at sentencing.
Allison F. Schumer, Esq., of The Law Office of Allison F. Schumer, represented the defendant at sentencing.
Detectives Wendy Berg, Grace Rocca, Matt Armstrong and Erin Lukowiak coordinated the investigation with assistance from analyst Bethany Shussler.
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