Ex-Major League Baseball Player Ted Lilly Accused of Insurance Fraud

Former Major League Baseball player Ted Lilly has been charged in California with three felonies related to insurance fraud, according to a newspaper report.

The charges stem from allegedly false insurance claims filed last year connected to Lilly’s damaged recreational vehicle, the San Luis Obispo Tribune reported Friday.

An investigation by the state Department of Insurance found the RV sustained damage in a collision, and Lilly sought an estimate from a body shop on March 19, 2014. The estimate was $4,600.

Lilly then bought insurance from Progressive on March 24 and claimed the damage on March 28, said Nancy Kincaid, a spokeswoman for the agency.

“What a lot of people may not realize is that body shops often enter estimates into a database that insurance companies can check to verify claims,” Kincaid told the Tribune. “They can see what the damage was and whether a false claim may have been filed.”

The three felony charges, filed Oct. 24, are filing a false insurance claim, filing a false statement in connection with an insurance claim, and concealing a material fact in connection with an insurance claim. The case is being prosecuted by the district attorney’s office in San Luis Obispo County, where Lilly lives.

His lawyer, James Murphy, didn’t return a call for comment.

Lilly faces a maximum penalty of five years in jail if he’s convicted, the newspaper said. He’s scheduled for arraignment on Feb. 5. Three previous court hearings were postponed.

The 39-year-old left-hander was a two-time All-Star who pitched for Montreal, Oakland, Toronto, the New York Yankees, Chicago Cubs and the Dodgers.

He retired in 2013 after 15 seasons because of problems with his shoulder and back.