An Allentown man faces fraud charges after authorities say he reported the same vehicle damage to four insurance companies.
Fouad Baladi, 38, of the 800 block of North Kearney Street, is charged with two counts of insurance fraud and single counts of theft and attempted theft, court records say.
He was arraigned this afternoon before District Judge Michael J. Faulkner and released on unsecured bail, records say.
http://liarcatchers.com/fraud_investigation.html
The Lehigh County Insurance Fraud Task Force began investigating Baladi’s claims in March, after being contacted by an insurance company with offices in Upper Macungie Township, records say. An investigator compared photos submitted with each claim and found they showed the same damage to one vehicle, records say.
Baladi’s wife in August filed a claim with Safe Auto Insurance for damage to a 2003 Chevrolet Suburban caused by a hit-and-run crash in Allentown, records say. She received $4,139.72 from Safe Auto, records say.
Baladi in January bought a GEICO policy and seven days later filed an insurance claim for damage caused to the Suburban in an Allentown hit-and-run, records say. Geico paid him $4,307.82.
Baladi in February bought a Nationwide Insurance policy and four days later filed a claim for damage caused to the Suburban in a Bethlehem hit-and-run, records say. Geico paid him $6,031.
Also in February, Baladi bought an Infinity Insurance policy and three days later filed a claim for damage caused to the Suburban in a Interstate 78 hit-and-run near the Route 33 interchange in Northampton County, records say. The vehicle’s repairs were valued at $2,556.49, but Infinity, which has an office at 7310 W. Tilghman St. in Upper Macungie, did not pay the claim, records say.
