February 15, 2018
Las Vegas, NV –Nevada Attorney General Adam Paul
Laxalt announced that Daniel Lee Harris, 66, of Las Vegas, was sentenced to
prison for insurance fraud, a category “D” felony. The fraudulent acts were committed
between February 2015 and January 2016.
Harris, also known
as Dana Maxwell and Daniel Maxwell Harris, filed a series of false claims with American
Banker’s Insurance and Hartford Insurance. Harris initially filed a claim in 2015
with American Banker’s alleging that his 2008 PT Cruiser had been burglarized,
and submitted several false receipts to demonstrate losses of a laptop, an
Apple iPod Touch and approximately 40 compact discs (CDs). Nearly a year later,
Harris filed claims for the theft of the same PT Cruiser with both Hartford and
American Banker’s Insurance when in fact, he had made arrangements with an
individual to have the Cruiser destroyed.
“If allowed to go
unabated, insurance fraud will result in increased rates for Nevada’s
consumers,” said Laxalt. “That is why Insurance Fraud Control Unit works to
protect consumers and the integrity of the insurance system by investigating
and prosecuting these crimes. This prosecution should serve as an example of
the penalties would-be fraudsters may face by committing insurance fraud.”
District Court Judge
Carolyn Ellsworth sentenced Harris to 12 to 36 months in the Nevada State
Prison. Harris was also ordered to pay $600 in restitution to Hartford
Insurance for rental car expenses and $750 to the Office of the Nevada Attorney
General for investigative expenses.
This
case was jointly investigated by the Office of the Nevada Attorney General’s
Insurance Fraud Control Unit, the National Insurance Crime Bureau and the Las
Vegas Metropolitan Police Department’s Viper Unit. The Office of the Nevada
Attorney General’s Insurance Fraud Control Unit prosecuted this case.
To view the criminal Complaint
against Harris, click here. To file a complaint
concerning someone suspected of committing fraud, click here.###