Burlington County Woman Admits Making $75K In False Claims: Authorities

A claims investigator with the State Department of the Treasury who hails from Burlington County has admitted to stealing more than $75,000 by processing and/or approving fraudulent claims in the names of various relatives and friends, Attorney General Christopher S. Porrino said on Wednesday.

Stephanie Hargrove, 39, of Willingboro, pleaded guilty to second-degree theft by unlawful taking. She faces three years in prison and will be required to pay full restitution to the state. She must also forfeit her job and will be barred from public employment. Hargrove has been suspended from her job since she was charged in April. Sentencing is scheduled for March 23.

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, Porrino said. 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 more than $75,000 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, Porrino said.

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.

“Hargrove corruptly used her authority as a state claims investigator to steal huge sums of money for herself, her relatives and her friends,” Porrino said. “What makes this case especially egregious is that she had a duty to prevent fraud, and instead perpetrated it at the expense of taxpayers.”

“Rooting out public corruption and protecting taxpayer dollars is a top priority for us, and we urge members of the public to alert us confidentially if they are aware of fraud or thefts committed by government employees,” said Elie Honig of the Division of Criminal Justice. “Tipsters can receive a reward of up to $25,000 if they provide us with information leading to a conviction.”

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 deadline for providing tips and potentially qualifying for a reward under the Public Corruption Reward Program is Nov. 15.

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