Nev. Fraud Case Nets 2 Years in Jail

Nevada Attorney General Brian Sandoval announced that Tomasi Lautaha, 54, was sentenced to two years in jail for insurance fraud.

Lautaha pled guilty to two counts of Conspiracy to Commit Insurance Fraud on July 20, 2004; he was arrested on the charges in August of last year. Judge Connie Steinheimer sentenced Lautaha to a year in jail for each of the two counts (with no parole and no suspension), and further ordered him to pay more than $9,000.00 in restitution and investigative costs. Lautaha was convicted of burglary on June 25, 2003 and contracting without a license earlier the same month.

Lautaha submitted a claim to Insuremax Insurance Company alleging that his vehicle had been vandalized in September of 2001, and indicating that he owned the vehicle “free and clear” so that the check for payment would be written to him instead of the lien holder.

He reportedly cashed the check for his own use and never got the car repaired. Lautaha also made a claim to Allied Insurance Company in February of 2002 alleging that his home had been burglarized. Lautaha reportedly exaggerated what was stolen, lied about how the burglary occurred, and claimed that he owned the rented home.