Mass. Man’s Auto Insurance Fraud Scheme Placed in Park

January 6, 2006

A Groton, Massachusetts man has pleaded guilty to charges he submitted false documents to an auto insurer to collect insurance money, Attorney General Tom Reilly announced.

Peter Lombardini, 48, of Groton, pleaded guilty Dec. 27 to one count each of motor vehicle insurance fraud and attempted larceny. Middlesex Superior Court Judge Paul Chernoff sentenced him to two years probation and ordered him to pay a $1,000 fine.

Lombardini purchased a 1994 Oldsmobile Achieva on Aug. 10, 2004. He reportedly claimed that on Aug. 20 he left the car at an intersection in Billerica after placing a “for sale” sign in the window.

On Aug. 22, the Billerica Police Department recovered the car at a different location. The car had been burned and completely destroyed. Lombardini filed a police report and a claim with Plymouth Rock Assurance Company.

With the insurance claim, Lombardini reportedly submitted an affidavit for a stolen vehicle stating he had purchased it from an ex-girlfriend for $1,000. He also submitted an invoice from a tire retailer for custom tires and rims totaling $2,189, and a receipt from an auto body shop for $1,400 in bodywork.

The investigation found that Lombardini’s submissions to Plymouth were false documents.