N.Y. Woman No Jewel; Arrested on Fraud Charges

New York Superintendent of Insurance Gregory Serio and Manhattan District Attorney Robert Morgenthau on Friday announced the arrest and indictment of a Manhattan resident for attempting to collect $262,000 in an insurance fraud scam.

Antoinette Millard has been charged with Insurance Fraud in the Second Degree, Attempted Grand Larceny in the Second Degree, and Criminal Possession of a Forged Instrument in the Second Degree.

An investigation leading to today’s indictment revealed that on Oct. 16, 2003, Millard obtained insurance from the Chubb Insurance Company for jewelry valued at $492,000. She reportedly claimed she had inherited the property from her deceased mother, and insured items included diamond bracelets, rings, and stud earrings made by Bulgari, Cellini, Van Cleef & Arpels, and Erica Courtney. The defendant provided Chubb with various bills of sale and appraisal forms in order to prove the worth of the items.

Millard initially received “in vault” coverage on the jewelry, which provided coverage only when the items were kept in the safe deposit box at her bank. However, on Oct. 27, 2003, the defendant requested and obtained “out of vault” coverage, which allowed her to remove the jewelry from the bank vault for a restricted period of time with insurance. On this day Millard reportedly removed 23 pieces of jewelry from the vault, left the bank and claimed she was mugged by an unknown assailant.

The defendant reported the incident to the New York Police Department and filed a claim with Chubb stating that $262,000 worth of jewelry was stolen. The insurer made follow up inquiries and notified the Frauds Bureau of the New York State Insurance Department. The investigation was referred to the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office.

The subsequent investigation reportedly revealed that one of the appraisal forms Millard submitted was forged, and that one month prior obtaining the insurance policy she actually sold 12 of the 23 items that she claimed were stolen.