N.Y. Jailer Arrested on Fraud Charges

October 2, 2003

New York’s Superintendent of Insurance Gregory Serio announced the arrest of Robert Burney Jr., 54, a Deputy Sheriff Jailer for the Monroe County Sheriff’s office for defrauding his own uncle.

He’s charged with two counts of offering a false instrument for filing in the 1st degree, four counts of criminal possession of a forged instrument in the 2nd degree, grand larceny in 3rd degree and criminal possession of stolen property in the 3rd degree.

The announcement said that “It is alleged that Mr. Burney called Mass Mutual Insurance Company and stated that he was John Hall, Mr. Burney’s uncle, and requested a loan from Mr. Hall’s life insurance policy. Mr. Burney changed Mr. Hall’s address to a P.O. Box and submitted various forged documents to obtain a loan check from Mass Mutual for over $26,000. Mr. Burney also submitted a change of ownership to Mass Mutual giving himself ownership over the life insurance policy.”

The investigation conducted by the Department’s Frauds Bureau, the New York State Police, the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office and the Brighton Police Department, also reportedly revealed that Burney was in possession of Hall’s 2001 Ford Taurus, which was reported stolen in August 2003. The title and ownership of the vehicle were transferred over to Burney using forged instruments.

Burney was arrested yesterday and arraigned in Brighton Town Court today by Town Justice Karen Morris. He was released and ordered to remain within Monroe County and to surrender his pistol permit and all weapons. He will reappear in Brighton and Irondequoit Town Courts on October 27, 2003. He faces up to seven years in prison if convicted.

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