AG: Man Gets Jail For Faking Insurance Policies in Scam

A Nassau County man was sentenced to jail time after he was convicted of masquerading as an insurance agent and taking money from unsuspecting victims, according to the New York State Attorney General’s office.

Darren Downes, 33, of Baldwin, was sentenced Wednesday to spend up to four years in prison and pay an $85,000 fine by Judge Anthony Paradiso, NYS Attorney General Eric Schneiderman said.

Downes pleaded guilty in July to first-degree scheme to defraud, first-degree identity theft, and third-degree grand larceny.

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Downes admitted that he charged customers hundreds of dollars to submit auto-insurance applications on their behalf with the promise of getting them better policies, said the AG. Downes then falsified personal and background information to get discounted policies, Schneiderman said.

Overall, Downes was paid about $75,000 in policy application fees, Schneiderman said.

The insurance companies discovered the false information and cancelled customer policies or charged higher premiums, Schneiderman said.

“All New Yorkers pay a price for insurance fraud, which drives up premiums across the board,” he said. “This sentence sends a clear message: this office will prosecute anyone who breaks the law to take advantage of unsuspecting customers for personal profit.”

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