Defendant Submitted False Insurance Claim After Accomplices Torched His Range Rover
Carlos Becker, a former police officer with the New York City Police Department (“NYPD"), was sentenced earlier today to two years in prison for submitting a false insurance claim after directing accomplices to burn his car. On Jan. 10, 2017, Becker pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit mail fraud for his role in a scheme to defraud the Government Employment Insurance Company (“GEICO"). Today’s sentencing proceeding was held before United States District Judge Margo K. Brodie. Becker was also ordered to pay $34,261.19 in restitution to GEICO.
The sentencing was announced by Bridget M. Rohde, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York.
As set forth in court documents, in September 2012, Becker, while employed as a police officer with the NYPD, directed accomplices to set fire to Becker’s Range Rover so that Becker could file a fraudulent insurance claim with GEICO and collect the insurance proceeds. During the early morning hours of September 7, 2012, Becker’s accomplices set fire to the Range Rover on a residential street in Queens. New York City firefighters responded to a 911 call about the Range Rover fire and put it out. Becker then submitted a fraudulent claim to GEICO, claiming that the Range Rover had been stolen from a parking space in front of his house in Hempstead, New York, and that the car was later found burned. Based on his fraudulent claim, in January 2013, GEICO mailed two checks to Becker in the amounts of $29,480.86 and $4,780.33.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Public Integrity Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Alexander Solomon and Robert Polemeni are in charge of the prosecution.
The Defendant:
CARLOS BECKER
Age: 40
Residence: Hempstead, New York
E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 16-CR-460 (MKB)
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
