Eight people have been charged with defrauding insurance companies by registering commercial motor vehicle fleets in upstate New York to avoid higher premiums in New York City.
The following people were arrested on multiple counts of second- and third-degree insurance fraud and first-degree offering a false instrument:
Peter Albano of Brooklyn
Richard Shavel, on Monroe
Harris Thorpe of Bronx
Petar Bojilov of Bronx
Roben Allonce of Brooklyn
Zeev Lichtick of Brooklyn
Roman Ashurov of Brooklyn
Winston McLean of Rosedale
Albany County DA David Soares said that by falsely registering their vehicles in counties where insurance rates were lower, they reduced their insurance premiums by a total of $1.4 million.
Most of the vehicles were registered at an address in East Berne.
Soares said, “Any time insurance companies are defrauded like this, law abiding citizens of Albany County pay the price.”
The district attorney’s office worked with numerous agencies, including the state Insurance Department and New York City police, in the investigation.