Pennsylvania man charged with insurance fraud

Nowah J. Maher, 22, of Orwigsburg waived a hearing on the charges Tuesday before District Judge Brian K. Strand in Bern Township. He remained free to await further action in Berks County Court.

According to probably cause affidavit:

About 6:30 p.m. on Jan. 25, 2023, Maher filed a claim with Progressive Insurance reporting he had lost control of his 2022 Honda Accord while driving on Route 222 in Bern Township. He said he slipped on a patch of ice and struck a guide rail.

His Progressive insurance policy was canceled two days earlier for nonpayment. However, Mayer reinstated the policy about 6:20 p.m. the day of the accident by signing a statement of no loss, asserting there were no accidents during the lapse.

Upon examining the photo of vehicle damage submitted with Maher's claim, a Progressive claim representative noticed the photo was taken at 11:41 a.m. that day, more than six hours before he renewed his policy.

Bern Township police confirmed they were dispatched to the crash about 11:15 a.m.

Progressive denied Maher's claim, citing fraud and misrepresentation. The matter was referred to the Pennsylvania State Attorney General's Bureau of Criminal Investigations, which filed the charges March 14 of this year.

___

(c)2024 the Reading Eagle (Reading, Pa.)

Visit the Reading Eagle (Reading, Pa.) at readingeagle.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.