Past Nev. Officer of Children’s Community Chest Sentenced for Insurance Fraud

August 2, 2004

Nevada Attorney General Brian Sandoval announced that Timothy
Lockwood, 50, of Reno was sentenced after pleading guilty to felony insurance fraud before Judge Brent Adams in the Washoe County District Courthouse.

Lockwood, a past officer of The Children’s Community Chest was
represented by Attorney David Houston. The felony charge stems from Lockwood reportedly arranging to have his son’s vehicle “stolen” in July of 2002 so that he no longer had to make car payments.

Lockwood fraudulently reported to Geico Insurance Company that his son’s 1996 Mazda 626 had been stolen; Geico subsequently paid the the claim of $8000.00. Concerned citizens brought this crime to the attention of the Insurance Fraud Unit of the Nevada Department of Justice, and Lockwood was subsequently arrested on April 20, 2004.

Lockwood agreed to plead guilty to a felony in this case and pay full restitution on both this and a prior case involving another son.

During the investigation involving the Mazda 626 claim, it was discovered that Lockwood reportedly had another son drive his Toyota Tercel into a construction dumpster in 1999, filing claims for that incident with both an insurance company and against the owner of the dumpster. The statute of limitations had run out on that incident, but prosecutor Ronda Clifton was still successful in obtaining restitution on behalf of the parties harmed.

Judge Adams sentenced Lockwood to 36 months in prison but suspended the sentence and placed Lockwood on probation so that he could pay the restitution totaling $18,000.00, five thousand of which is to reimburse the Attorney General’s office for the cost
of investigation.

Lockwood reportedly had previously spent time in prison for gaming fraud.