Father, Son Convicted of Felony Auto Insurance Fraud

November 8, 2016 |  

The Sacramento District Attorney's office announced the conviction of a father and son of auto insurance fraud and filing false police reports. 

Harpreet Singh and his father, Satnam Singh, pled no contest to felony auto insurance fraud and misdemeanor making a false report to police. Harpreet also pled no contest to felony hit and run with injuries. 

On Sept 2, 2015, Harpreet caused a major vehicle crash while driving an Acura registered to his father, Satnam. The crash injured the driver of one of the involved vehicles and Harpreet fled the scene  but was followed by witnesses who reported his license plate to police. 

Harpreet then abandoned the car and walked to his gym to call his father, who picked Harpreet up and took him home. One hour later, Satnam called police to report his car had been stolen from his house and claimed he had no children and no one else ever drove his car. 

Satnam also filed an insurance claim for the allegedly stolen Acura. Before discovering the claim was a fraud, CSAA paid Satnam approximately $22,000. 

CHP officers investigating the incident spoke to one of Satnam’s neighbors who showed them surveillance video of Harpreet driving the Acura away from the house on the morning of the crash. 

Sacramento Couty Superior Court Judge Curtis Fiorini sentenced Harpreet Singh to 270 days in jail and 5 years formal probation and Satnam Singh to 240 days in jail and 5 years formal probation. Both men were ordered to pay $26,240 in restitution to CSAA (the cost of the payout on the claim plus investigative costs), $9,041 to Allstate Insurance (cost of claims paid to their insured) and restitution to the other drivers involved in the crash.