Pennsylvania trio accused of stealing $300K+ by submitting fake insurance claims

CUMBERLAND COUNTY, Pa. (WHTM)– Owners of two Cumberland County auto body repair shops and a former furniture store manager are accused by the Attorney General’s Office of submitting years of fraudulent insurance claims.

According to online court documents, over a dozen felony charges have been filed in Cumberland County Magisterial District Judge Kathryn Silcox’s office against; Kevin Hartung, 45, of Somerset, Kwa’rai Samuel, 24, of New Bloomfield, Lori Retus, 50, of Dillsburg.

LKR Autobody & Repair and Hoppers Foreign Autobody & Repair are also facing felonies in the case

The charges come after a Grand Jury investigation revealed that the alleged scammers worked together to steal more than $300,000 from insurance companies by submitting fake claims.

Court documents state that the alleged actors, known as the “Samuel Organization,” would get automobile insurance policies by using fake information or stolen identities. They would then allegedly obtain vehicle information by going to lots and searching about vehicles.

A total of 28 policies were given to the group by four different insurance companies, and once they were in effect, the group would falsely report accidents and submit paperwork to two fake auto body shops, the presentment states. There were submitted pictures of vehicles that were in accidents but they were fake.

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