COLUMBUS — Kelli Reyes, of Wauseon, Ohio, has been sentenced by the Fulton County Common Pleas Court to 10 months in prison after pleading guilty to felony insurance fraud, Lieutenant Governor and Department of Insurance Director Mary Taylor announced. Reyes was also ordered to pay the prosecution costs and $1,148.15 in restitution to insurance company State Farm.
“Because of the hard work of the Fulton County Prosecutor’s Office, and the State Farm and Department of Insurance investigative teams we were able to successfully close this case,” Taylor said. “Insurance fraud raises the cost of insurance for all of us and the Department will continue to pursue those who choose to break the law."
The Department began its investigation in Nov. 2011 after being contacted by State Farm. The insurer received a suspicious claim from Reyes regarding items stolen from her residence during an alleged break-in earlier in the year. The Department found Reyes submitted two false receipts in an attempt to substantiate ownership of assorted power tools and bicycles taken during the alleged break-in.
Ohioans who suspect insurance fraud or agent misconduct should call the Department’s fraud hotline, 1-800-686-1527. Those with questions about insurance can call the Department’s consumer hotline at 1-800-686-1526 and obtain information at www.insurance.ohio.gov. You can follow the Ohio Department of Insurance on twitter @OHInsurance and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/OhioDepartmentofInsurance.