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Office of the District Attorney P. David Soares Sentencing of Almeka R. Cobb for Insurance Fraud Adjourned for One Week ALBANY, NY – District Attorney P. David Soares today announced that the sentencing of Almeka R. Cobb for Insurance Fraud before Judge Stephen W. Herrick was adjourned for one week due to the defendant’s recent arrest related to his possession of a handgun which appeared to be a violation of his plea agreement. Sentencing is now scheduled for Thursday, January 13 th, 2005. The fraud scheme involved the renting of Uhaul trucks and then crashing them into automobiles owned by the conspirators in order to collect insurance payments. The conviction resulted from the efforts of members of the Economic Crime Bureau which operates the Auto Insurance Fraud and Auto-Theft Prevention Program funded by the State specifically to address the issue of automobile insurance fraud. The defendant used a rented Uhaul truck to crash into his 1994 Cadillac Eldorado parked at 32 Hurlburt Street in Albany, NY. The defendant was also charged with fraudulently drafting a false certificate of title for the Cadillac and making the insurance claim under this false identity. ADA Brad Sherman reported that this is the first conviction of a large, ongoing investigation. Sherman praised the skill of the investigating team. “Key players in the investigation included the NYS Insurance Fraud Bureau, the Albany Police Department, DMV Investigators, the National Insurance Crime Bureau, and Kevin Geberth, an insurance investigator for the Republic Western Insurance Company”, Sherman said. “The success of this prosecution and the others currently underway are critical to controlling auto insurance costs; these crimes hit us all in the pocket.” He added. Cobb will be facing two to four years. He has a prior felony drug conviction. Back to Press Releases For further information contact: Richard Arthur
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