N.J. Contractor Indicted in Certificate Scam

Vaughn McKoy, director, Division of Criminal Justice, announced that a Burlington County, New Jersey contractor has been charged by the Office of the Insurance Fraud Prosecutor with forgery for possessing a counterfeit Certificate of Insurance.

According to Greta Gooden-Brown, Insurance Fraud Prosecutor, William Scanlan, 51, of Mt. Holly, Burlington County, was charged via a State Grand Jury indictment with fourth degree forgery which carries a maximum penalty of up to 18 months in state prison and a fine of up to $10,000.

The indictment alleges that between Nov. 1 – 3, 2002, Scanlan, the owner of William C. Scanlan Jr. and Son contracting business, issued a phony Certificate of Liability Insurance purportedly issued by the Zurich Insurance Company. Certificates of Insurance, required to be posted by contractors awarded construction contracts, attest that the contractor has the requisite amount of excess liability and workers’ compensation insurance.

The indictment alleges that Scanlan issued the phony Certificate of Insurance to Woolstan Construction in connection with having subcontracted for work with Woolstan Construction. It is charged that the phony Certificate of Insurance represented that William C. Scanlan, Jr. and Son were insured by Zurich Insurance Company for auto and general liability but not for workers’ comp and excess liability.

The indictment was handed up to Mercer County Superior Court Judge Linda Feinberg, the Assignment Judge in charge of the State Grand Jury, on March 18.

The case will be venued in Burlington County where Scanlan will be ordered to appear for arraignment and bail.