New Hampshire Man Convicted of Insurance Fraud

A Strafford, New Hampshire, man has been convicted of staging a burglary at his home in order to collect insurance money.

The attorney general’s office says 28-year-old Bradford Sargent reported the burglary to police and filed a claim with his insurance company listing items he said had been stolen. He pleaded guilt to a felony count of insurance fraud and was given a suspended sentence of 12 months in jail.

Sargent also was ordered to repay the insurance company, pay a fine and write apology letters to the company. Attorney General Michael Delaney says the case illustrates that insurance fraud is not a victimless crime because it increases costs for everyone else.