Orange County Man Accused Of Insurance Fraud

WESTBURY, NY — An Orange County man was arrested after being accused of applying for car insurance using a fake address.

Orange County District Attorney David Hoovler said Wednesday that Victor Coles, 35, of Westbury, was arrested and charged with fourth-degree insurance fraud, a felony.

Prosecutors said he submitted a written application for car insurance using a false address. As a result of the misrepresentation, Coles’s insurance premiums were fraudulently reduced by a significant amount.

Hoovler said that insurance fraud is not a victimless crime.

“The result of insurance fraud is that everyone else sees their premiums rise, for the ill-gotten gain of the perpetrator,” he said. “I hope this arrest, and other prosecutions like it, stands as a warning to those looking to use fraud in order to enrich themselves: Law enforcement is watching and we will seek to hold you accountable.”

The multi-agency Orange County White Collar Crime Task Force, which oversaw Coles’s arrest, includes investigators from the Orange County District Attorney’s Office, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office and several other local police agencies including the Town of Newburgh Police Department, the Village of Warwick Police Department and the Town of Woodbury Police Department.

It was created in March to focus on enhancing the investigation and prosecution of public corruption and financial crimes.

The task force’s mandate includes the investigation of residential contractor fraud, crimes involving public integrity, public corruption and ethics violations, embezzlement and other complex theft cases, crimes against revenue, wage theft and labor law violations.

Coles was released on his own recognizance with an appearance ticket to return to the Town of Cornwall Court at a later date.