4 Folks Charged in Travel Insurance Conspiracy

TRENTON – Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin, the Division of Criminal Justice (DCJ), and the Office of the Insurance Fraud Prosecutor (OIFP) introduced 4 folks have been indicted for his or her roles in a scheme to file fraudulent journey insurance coverage claims.

Agustin Matos, 40, of North Haledon, New Jersey; Kenia Ivonne Vasquez, 44, of Bronx, New York; and Keyra Carla Liriano, 45, and Patricio Arturo Alfonso, 46, each of Fort Lee, New Jersey; are every charged with one rely of conspiracy (second diploma); insurance coverage fraud (second diploma); tried theft by deception (third diploma); impersonation/theft of identification (third diploma); and falsifying/tampering with data (fourth diploma). Liriano is moreover charged with theft by deception (third diploma). The indictment by a state grand jury was returned on December 5, 2025.

“The defendants in this case are charged with coming up with a simple—yet potentially lucrative—scam by taking out multiple travel insurance policies and then filing claims against them for trips they never actually took and for medical emergencies they allegedly fabricated,” stated Attorney General Platkin. “The excellent work of our investigators and attorneys should make it obvious that we are always ready to prosecute these kinds of crimes.”

“Insurance exists for various reasons, and enriching yourself illegally is not one of them,” stated DCJ Director Theresa L. Hilton. “Travel insurance allows people on vacation or business trips to know they are covered for health care in the event of an unforeseen emergency. The defendants we’re charging in this scheme tried to turn it into an illegal business.”

“This case underscores the importance of close cooperation between my office and the insurance industry,” stated Interim Insurance Fraud Prosecutor Al Garcia. “After the insurance company identified suspected illegal activity and brought it to our attention, we launched an investigation that resulted in four individuals now facing criminal charges.” 

OIFP acquired a referral from the Special Investigation Unit of American International Group Inc. (AIG). From April 2022 to August 2023, in Bergen, Hudson and Passaic counties, New York, and elsewhere, the defendants allegedly opened a number of journey insurance coverage insurance policies with a number of insurance coverage firms, masking the identical journey to the identical overseas vacation spot. When making use of for these insurance policies, they allegedly used false identities and supplied bank card info that tied them collectively.

The defendants allegedly would then file claims with every provider, falsely asserting that they had been hospitalized overseas and had incurred 1000’s of {dollars} in medical bills, which have been coated underneath the journey insurance coverage insurance policies. The defendants allegedly submitted an identical info to a number of carriers, whereas certifying that they had no different insurance coverage masking the medical bills or the journey. OIFP’s investigation revealed that the defendants had not traveled to the international locations as alleged, and so they had by no means been hospitalized as they claimed. Almost all data defendants submitted to insurance coverage firms as a part of this scheme have been allegedly altered, fraudulent, or fully fabricated.

Most of the insurance coverage firms denied the fraudulent claims. However, Liriano is charged with theft by deception for allegedly acquiring $14,835 in declare funds from two carriers. Together, the 4 defendants tried to defraud the insurance coverage firms of roughly $252,852 as follows: Matos – $19,986; Vasquez – $27,812; Liriano – $37,226; and Alfonso – $167,829.

Deputy Attorney General Jana Robinson is prosecuting the case for OIFP underneath the supervision of Assistant Bureau Chief Evgeniya Sitnikova and Bureau Chief Crystal Callahan. 

The investigation was performed by Detective Jessica Petri, underneath the supervision of Sergeant Brian Bunn, Lieutenant Natalie Brotherston, and Deputy Chief Kelly Howard, with help from Investigator Anthony Mihalow. Interim Insurance Fraud Prosecutor Garcia thanked his employees for his or her work on this case, in addition to AIG.

Second-degree prices carry a sentence of 5 to 10 years in state jail and a fantastic of as much as $150,000. 

Third-degree prices carry a sentence of three to 5 years in jail and a fantastic of as much as $15,000.

Fourth-degree offenses carry a sentence of as much as 18 months in state jail and a fantastic of as much as $10,000.

The prices and allegations contained within the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed harmless except and till confirmed responsible in a court docket of regulation.

OIFP’s mission consists of coordination of all anti-insurance fraud actions statewide, and lots of profitable prosecutions are a results of preliminary nameless suggestions. If you might be involved about insurance coverage dishonest and have details about a fraud, OIFP desires to listen to from you. You can report fraud anonymously by calling the toll-free hotline at 1-877-55-FRAUD or visiting www.NJInsurancefraud.org. State rules allow a reward to be paid to eligible individuals who present info that results in an arrest, prosecution, and conviction for insurance coverage fraud.

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