Author: admin

bookmark_borderInsurance Fraud Scheme

Posted on by admin

Agents from the Attorney General’s Insurance Fraud Section have filed criminal charges against the former president of a defunct Allegheny County insurance agency who is accused of stealing in excess of $150,000 in insurance premiums paid by various restaurants and bars.

Attorney General Linda Kelly identified the defendant as Carol A. Hughes, 56, of 161 Oak St. Monroeville.

Hughes allegedly used her position as president of the Morry Hoffman Insurance Agency (MHA), located at 1821 Golden Mile Highway, Pittsburgh, to orchestrate a theft scheme which stretched from 2007 through 2011, victimizing numerous businesses, insurance companies and premium financing companies.

Kelly said the Morry Hoffman Agency specialized in obtaining liquor liability and commercial liability insurance for restaurants and taverns until its license was terminated by the Pennsylvania Department of Insurance in February 2011.

According to the criminal complaint, Hughes misappropriated premium funds that had been paid to MHA by various clients, depositing the money in one large account and failing to forward those payments to the appropriate insurance companies.

Additionally, Hughes and MHA are accused of submitting applications to premium financing companies in the names of various businesses, without their knowledge or consent, in order to obtain funds that would purportedly be used to purchase insurance policies on behalf of those businesses.

Kelly noted that in some of these instances the businesses that were named on the financing applications had already paid the full insurance premiums that were due.

According to the criminal charges, the insurance premium money paid by various clients, along with funds from the premium financing companies were deposited into a single business account which was allegedly used to pay personal expenses for Hughes, along with food, travel and business expenses.

Hughes is charged with one count of participating in a corrupt organization, a first-degree felony punishable by up to 20 years in prison and a $25,000 fine.

Additionally, she is charged with one count of insurance fraud, three counts of theft by deception, two counts of theft by failure to make required disposition of funds and three counts of forgery, all third-degree felonies which are each punishable by up to seven years in prison and $15,000 fines.

Hughes is also charged with two counts of misapplication of entrusted property, second-degree misdemeanors which are each punishable by up to two years in prison and $5,000 fines.

Hughes was preliminarily arraigned today before Plum Magisterial District Judge Linda Zucco. Hughes was released on unsecured bail pending a preliminary hearing on September 19th, at 9 a.m. before Magisterial District Judge Zucco.

The case is being prosecuted in Allegheny County by Senior Deputy Attorney General Dennis A. Kistler of the Attorney General’s Insurance Fraud Section.

(A person charged with a crime is presumed innocent until proven guilty)

bookmark_borderMontgomery County Community College Opens ‘Green’ Lot for Energy Efficient Vehicles

Posted on by admin

WHITPAIN TOWNSHIP, PA — This fall, Montgomery County Community College will open a brand new parking lot at its Central Campus designated, exclusively, for students, faculty and staff who carpool or who drive energy-efficient vehicles. Electric and hybrid vehicles are included in this class, along with conventional vehicles that have earned an EPA rating of 27 combined city and highway MPG or higher.

Drivers can apply for a permit to the 185-space parking lot, which is adjacent to the Advanced Technology Center, through the College’s online portal. Accepted applicants will receive an access card and parking decal. The lot will be open for general access parking on weekends.

The new parking lot is the first at MCCC to include charging stations for electric vehicles. Ten efficient GE Durastation charging stations at five pedestals will enable drivers to charge their electric vehicles in only four hours, half the time as a typical charge cycle of eight hours.

In addition to the charging stations, the lot includes a variety of additional “green” features, including:

• LED Lighting — The lot is lighted for maximum safety by energy-saving LED lamps. LED lighting consumes less energy, lasts longer and operates cooler than other lighting applications.

• Subsurface Infiltration System — The effects of runoff will be reduced as rainwater flows into the system, which assists in groundwater recharge and prevents downstream erosion.

• Rain Gardens — A “natural bowl” also helps alleviate the effects of erosion by collecting excess rainwater from both the Advanced Technology Center parking lot and the roof of Parkhouse Hall.

• Vegetated Swales with Check Dams — Compared to piping, these increase cost-effectiveness and slow the rate of runoff conveyance. They also provide aesthetic enhancement to the areas between parking spaces.

The green lot was developed in coordination with MCCC’s Climate Commitment Advisory Council, which works to reduce the College’s carbon footprint and promote sustainability education. To learn more about MCCC’s Sustainability Initiative, visit mc3green.wordpress.com.

bookmark_borderMosquito Spraying Set for Montgomery County

Posted on by admin

NORRISTOWN, PA — The Department of Environmental Protection will apply treatments the evening of Thursday, Aug. 30, in portions of Abington, Upper Dublin and Upper Moreland townships, Montgomery County, to control adult mosquito populations. In the event of rain, the spraying will be rescheduled for Friday, Aug. 31.

The treatment will be administered with truck-mounted equipment to spray open spaces in residential and recreational areas. The equipment dispenses Biomist 3+15 at a rate of .75 ounces per acre.

These products are designed to provide quick, effective control of adult mosquito populations. The application materials have a very low toxicity profile to mammals and are safe for the environment.

Certain mosquito species carry the West Nile virus, which can cause humans to contract West Nile encephalitis, an infection that can result in an inflammation of the brain. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, all residents in areas where virus activity has been identified are at risk of contracting West Nile encephalitis.

Mosquito samples in 47 counties have been identified with the West Nile virus so far this year. Human cases, including one fatality, have been confirmed in Bucks, Centre, Chester, Delaware, Franklin, Lancaster, Lebanon, Lehigh, Luzerne and Philadelphia counties.
Individuals can take a number of precautionary measures around their homes to help eliminate mosquito-breeding areas, including:

• Dispose of cans, buckets, plastic containers, ceramic pots or similar containers that hold water.
• Properly dispose of discarded tires that can collect water. Stagnant water is where most mosquitoes breed.
• Drill holes in the bottom of outdoor recycling containers.
• Have clogged roof gutters cleaned every year, particularly if the leaves from surrounding trees have a tendency to plug drains.
• Turn over plastic wading pools when not in use.
• Turn over wheelbarrows and don’t let water stagnate in birdbaths.
• Aerate ornamental pools or stock them with fish.
• Clean and chlorinate swimming pools not in use and remove any water that may collect on pool covers.

If a resident has stagnant pools of water on their property, they can buy BTI products at lawn and garden, outdoor supply, home improvement and other stores. This naturally occurring bacterium kills mosquito larva but is safe for people, pets, aquatic life and plants.

Additionally, these simple precautions can prevent mosquito bites, particularly for people who are most at risk:

• Make sure screens fit tightly over doors and windows to keep mosquitoes out of homes.
• Consider wearing long-sleeved shirts, long pants and socks when outdoors, particularly when mosquitoes are most active at dawn and dusk, or in areas known for having large numbers of mosquitoes.
• When possible, reduce outdoor exposure at dawn and dusk during peak mosquito periods, usually April through October.
• Use insect repellants according to the manufacturer’s instructions. An effective repellant will contain DEET, picaridin or lemon eucalyptus oil. Consult with a pediatrician or family physician for questions about the use of repellant on children, as repellant is not recommended for children under the age of two months.

For more information about West Nile virus and the state’s surveillance and control program, visit www.westnile.state.pa.us.