TRENTON – A Ewing man has been found guilty of insurance fraud and arson after reporting his car stolen and setting it on fire in an effort to collect on his insurance.
Antoine Costello, 31, of Scenic Drive, was convicted of second-degree insurance fraud, second-degree aggravated arson and third-degree attempted theft by deception, Casey DeBlasio, spokeswoman for Mercer County Prosecutor Joseph L. Bocchini Jr., said Thursday.
He was convicted after a three-day jury trial with Assistant Prosecutor Heather Hadley representing the state. The jury deliberated for about four hours in finding Costello guilty on all counts.
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An investigation revealed that on April 9, 2008, at 1 a.m., Costello called the Hamilton Township police and reported he was hijacked in his 2002 Mercury Mountaineer.
He said he had gone to see a girl for a date when he was approached by five black males brandishing a gun and demanding his car. Costello said the men got in his car and drove away.
He didn’t immediately call police but, he contended, he did call a friend, Anthony Govan, to get him. Costello called police when Govan arrived.
The Mountaineer was found burning in Ewing Township.
Costello filed a claim for the damages with his insurance company.
The investigation found the fire was set intentionally and that both Costello and Govan made up the story and both were involved in torching the car.
Govan pleaded guilty to second-degree insurance fraud in January and testified against his friend. He will be sentenced later this month, DeBlasio said.
Costello faces a maximum sentence of five years in state prison and a fine of $150,000 for each of the second-degree convictions. The third-degree crime has a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a fine of $15,000.
Mercer County Superior Court Judge Andrew Smithson set sentencing for June 5.
