TRENTON – Attorney General Jennifer Davenport and the Office of the Insurance Fraud Prosecutor (OIFP) announced today that a Middlesex County man has been convicted of insurance fraud and other crimes for submitting a fraudulent insurance claim.

Andre Love, 49, of East Brunswick, was convicted of third-degree insurance fraud, attempted theft by deception, and fourth-degree falsifying records following a four-day trial before Superior Court Judge Robert J. Jones in Middlesex County.

“Insurance exists to protect individuals and businesses from legitimate losses, not to provide a means for people to profit through deception,” said Attorney General Davenport. “When fraudsters try to take more than their fair share by seeking benefits to which they are not entitled, we all stand to lose. Holding fraudsters accountable helps protect consumers, businesses, and honest policyholders, while supporting broader efforts to promote affordability for New Jersey residents and businesses.”

“Our office works closely with insurance companies to make sure this kind of fraud is detected quickly and dealt with appropriately,” said Acting Insurance Fraud Prosecutor Bernard Cooney. “In this case, the insurer recognized something was amiss with the claim filed by the defendant, and referred the matter to us for investigation. This case demonstrates how collaboration between insurers and OIFP can help identify fraud, protect the integrity of the insurance system, and hold offenders accountable.”

According to documents filed in this case and the evidence at trial, Love, owner of Love’s Tree Removal in East Brunswick, submitted a fraudulent claim to Markel Insurance for damage to a 1995 Caterpillar Wheel Loader. Love opened the policy in September 2020, and filed the claim on May 28, 2021, claiming the loader was damaged by an employee two days before he filed the claim. On June 9, 2021, Love submitted an invoice for repairs from Monroe Repairs LLC that included a meter reading and an estimate of over $28,000.

Love had received an estimate for the same transmission damage on the same machine in April 2020, approximately five months before submitting the policy application and more than a year before filing the claim. The April 2020 estimate and the documents Love submitted in June 2021 included an identical meter reading and total work estimate. The owner of Monroe Repairs LLC confirmed that the company neither evaluated the loader for the work in question nor prepared the invoice submitted by Love.

Deputy Attorneys General Jana Robinson and Vladimir D’Argenio tried the case for OIFP. The investigation was conducted by OIFP Detective Brianna Rafferty and Detective Nicholas Esposito. Analyst Bethany Schussler also assisted on the case.

OIFP’s mission includes coordination of all anti-insurance fraud activities statewide, and many successful prosecutions are a result of initial anonymous tips. If you suspect insurance fraud or have information about a potential case, OIFP wants to hear from you. You can report fraud anonymously by calling the toll-free hotline at 1-877-55-FRAUD or visiting www.NJInsurancefraud.org. State regulations permit a reward to be paid to eligible persons who provide information that leads to an arrest, prosecution, and conviction for insurance fraud.

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Defense counsel:

Thomas Belsky, Esq.