Street woman gets 60 days in insurance fraud case

BALTIMORE – A Harford County woman who defrauded two homeowners out of more than $40,000 in insurance benefits while working as a licensed public adjuster has received a 60-day jail term, the Maryland Attorney General's Office reported on Tuesday.

Harford County Circuit Court Judge Paul W. Ishak imposed a five-year sentence on the defendant, Tashoia Starr Grant, 42, of Street, during a hearing a Dec. 1 hearing and then suspended all but 60 days of the penalty.

In addition, the judge ordered Grant to serve five years of supervised probation and to pay $38,894 in restitution to the victims.

As part of a plea deal, Grant pleaded guilty to two counts each of theft scheme with a value of more than $10,000 and less than $100,000 and insurance fraud with a value of $300 or more.

Prosecutors reported that Grant committed her crimes during a five-month period, starting on March 9, 2015 and ending on Aug. 3, 2015, while working as a licensed public adjuster operating under the name Primary Asset Integrity Network.

Grant, who is no longer a licensed public adjuster, engaged in a theft scheme to defraud two homeowners out of insurance benefits, prosecutors noted.

"The victims hired Grant to act as their advocate and help them navigate the insurance claims process. Instead of performing her duties as a public adjuster, Grant stole a total of $44,521 in insurance benefits belonging to the victims," a MAGO spokesperson summarized.

A Harford County grand jury indicted Grant on Jan. 28, 2020, court records show.

Assistant Attorney General Timothy S. Lake, who is assigned to the Insurance Fraud Unit of the Maryland Attorney General's Office, prosecuted Grant, with assistance from Maryland Insurance Administration Forensic Auditor Suzzanne Jones and Investigator William Wagner.