A Kirkland, Washington man pled guilty to committing insurance fraud after an investigation by Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler’s Criminal Investigations Unit.
Jerame Thurik pled guilty to false claims or proof on March 27 in King County Superior Court. He was ordered to pay $500 in court fees, undergo a substance abuse evaluation and serve two years of probation. His jail sentence was suspended, aside from the day he spent in King County Jail.
Thurik purchased an insurance policy with GEICO on April 12, 2021, and then filed a claim one month-and-a-half later stating he’d been involved in a collision on May 20 and his 2016 Mercedes-Benz had suffered significant damage.
GEICO investigated the claim and reportedly found that Thurik was involved in a collision on April 6, 2021 — six days before he started his policy with GEICO.
His vehicle had been towed to Mercedes of Bellevue, where it stayed for more than a month before being towed to Mercedes Benz of Seattle. After discovering the vehicle had been parked at the dealership since before Thurik purchased insurance, GEICO denied the claim — which included damages of $18,556.55 — and referred it to CIU.
Topics Auto Washington
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