Des Moines, Iowa - Mujtaba Ali, age 38, of Des Moines, Iowa, pled guilty to one count of Insurance Fraud - Presenting False Information (Class D Felony) and one count of Theft 2nd Degree (Class D Felony) following an investigation by the Iowa Insurance Division’s Fraud Bureau.
“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 Mr. Ali was held accountable for his actions.”
The investigation began in July of 2018. Ali submitted receipts in support of multiple renters insurance claims to his insurer after alleged burglaries at his apartment. Ali collected insurance benefits in excess of $10,000.00 from these claims.
During the course of the investigation, the Iowa Insurance Division confirmed that several receipts used in support of insurance claims made by Ali had been heavily altered or completely fabricated. These receipts were presented during the insurance claim in order to inflate the items value or to claim items were stolen which were never actually purchased. Ali was arrested on May 2, 2019.
On November 24, 2020, Ali was sentenced to 5 years in prison for each count to be served concurrently. This time was ordered to be served consecutive to a sentence of 5 years for an unrelated forgery charge on December 9, 2020. Ali was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $3,674.50. Ali also received a total of $1,500 in fines which were suspended.
Iowans with information about insurance fraud are encouraged to contact the Iowa Insurance Division’s Fraud Bureau at 515-654-6556.
Official State of Iowa Website
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