Progressive Insurance in Whitemarsh Township (Credit: Google StreetView)
After an in-depth investigation, the Pennsylvania Office of the Attorney General (POAG) determined that one Jeffersonville man had fraudulently claimed a vehicle accident through his Whitemarsh Township insurance agency.
According to a police criminal complaint, Jawuan F. Brown, 30, of the 1500 block of West Main Street in Jeffersonville, purchased a Progressive car insurance policy on Feb. 20, 2024 around 5:19 p.m. The policy, police said, was effective from Feb. 20, 2024 to Aug. 20, 2024 to cover Brown’s 2014 Nissan Murano.
On the same date of Feb. 20, the POAG alleged that Brown also filed his first notice of loss, claiming that his Nissan was involved in a crash around 6 p.m. (only 41 minutes after purchasing the policy). According to the complaint, Brown filed a First Notice of Loss with a time, location, and vehicle information, which he filed with the Upper Merion Township Police Department (UMTPD) Traffic Unit, and uploaded a Crash Receipt with his name, email, and phone number.
According to the criminal complaint, Progressive Investigator Jennifer Cobb conducted a recorded interview with Brown, during which he confirmed his address to be in the 300 block of Hilltop Drive in King of Prussia. Additionally, he stated that the accident happened on Feb. 20, between 5 and 6 p.m., said the POAG report. As Cobb pressed Brown for a more accurate time, he stated that the police report noted 5:05 p.m. to be the time of the accident.
Brown claimed that he’d purchased the insurance before the accident, but told Cobb that he didn’t know if the transaction went through because his bank account numbers were “acting weird,” said the POAG documentation. Progressive agents assigned a value of $9,212 to Brown’s claim, but later denied the coverage on the basis of fraud and misrepresentation, said the POAG.
After an investigation, it was determined that Brown did purchase the policy at 5:19 p.m., which the POAG stated he had done at the crash scene, after the crash, and filed a claim online when he’d returned home, said the criminal complaint.
Brown is facing three felony charges of False, Fraudulent, or Incomplete Insurance Claim, a Criminal Attempt of theft by deception or false impression, and the Criminal Use of a communication facility.
Brown had a preliminary arraignment on Dec. 16, 2024. He was released on a signature bond, and is scheduled for a preliminary hearing on Jan. 8, 2025 before Magisterial District Judge Dara Dasatir.
All suspects and defendants are innocent until proven guilty. This story was compiled using public court records.
