Des Moines - Jessica Ann Marie Hartwig, age 27, of Cedar Rapids, pled guilty this week to Fraudulent Practice in the Second Degree (Class D Felony) and Insurance Fraud - Application Submission (Class D Felony) in Linn County District Court.
“Insurance fraud is not a victimless crime. We all pay for insurance fraud in the form of higher insurance costs,” Iowa Insurance Commissioner Doug Ommen said. “I appreciate the hard work of our Fraud Bureau and all who participated in the prosecution of this case so Ms. Hartwig was held accountable for her actions.”
The guilty plea stems from an investigation which began in November of 2019. In criminal complaints filed by the Iowa Insurance Division’s Fraud Bureau it was found Hartwig altered a public document which she later submitted to an insurance company with the intent of obtaining $7,021 in insurance benefits to which she would not have otherwise been entitled.
As a result of the guilty plea, Hartwig was sentenced to be confined to an indeterminate term, not to exceed five years, in the custody of the Director of the Division of Adult Corrections. In each count the sentence is suspended and Hartwig is placed on a period of probation for three years with the Sixth Judicial District Department of Correctional Services. Additionally, Hartwig was ordered to pay a fine of $750 for each count, along with statutory surcharges and a $300 enrollment fee to the Department of Correctional Services. Payment of the fines is suspended as part of the plea agreement.
Iowans with information about insurance fraud are encouraged to contact the Iowa Insurance Division’s Fraud Bureau at 515-242-5304.
Photo courtesy of the Linn County Correctional Center.