South Jersey Woman Sentenced For Making $78K In False Claims: AG

A former claims investigator with the State Department of the Treasury who hails from South Jersey has been sentenced to three years in state prison after admitting to stealing $78,000 by processing and/or approving fraudulent claims in the names of various relatives and friends, Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal announced.

Stephanie Hargrove, 40, of Willingboro, previously pleaded guilty to second-degree theft by unlawful taking. Hargrove must also pay full restitution to the state in the amount of $78,022. She also forfeited her state job and is permanently barred from public employment. Hargrove has been suspended from her job since she was charged in April of last year.

Claims investigators process claims for damages filed against the departments or divisions of state government, including tort claims. Hargrove was a principal claims investigator for the Division of Risk Management. As such, she worked in a supervisory capacity overseeing other claims investigators. She also handled her own caseload.

Hargrove admitted that she used her official capacity to process or approve $78,022 worth of fraudulent claims, allegedly filed in the names of her relatives, friends and acquaintances. Further investigation revealed that proceeds from certain false claims went to Hargrove, according to authorities.

She admitted to submitting and/or processing false false supporting documents, as well as the false claims. The claims were for various damages. For example, a number of claims involved false assertions that vehicles were wrongfully towed due to improper record keeping by the Motor Vehicle Commision. Others involved individuals claiming that foster children placed with them by the Department of Children and Families seriously damaged their homes.

Anyone who reports public corruption may be able to receive a reward of up to a $25,000, authorities said. The Division of Criminal Justice has a toll-free tip line 866-TIPS-4CJ for the public to confidentially report public corruption. Information on the Public Corruption Reward Program is posted here.

The attached image of Stephanie Hargrove was provided by the Attorney General’s Office