On Jan. 25, an Irvington man admitted to staging a car accident back in 2012 in Newark to collect more than $25,000 in insurance payouts, authorities announced.
According to a statement from the New Jersey Office of the Insurance Fraud Prosecutor, Jerry Previlon was charged with a single count of second-degree insurance fraud in Superior Court, Essex County.
Authorities said that Previlon was a passenger in his girlfriend’s car, a 1999 Pontiac Grand Prix when the vehicle was struck from behind by another automobile.
Yasmeen Louis, Previlon’s girlfriend, claimed in a sworn statement that the driver of the car that collided with her vehicle was allegedly an acquaintance of Previlon, and had fled the scene in a third vehicle.
In the months following the accident, both Previlon and Louis filed 28 medical claims with
Liberty Mutual, for a total payout of $25,100. Last year, the two were arraigned for several charges, including conspiracy, insurance fraud, and tampering with records.
"Staging accidents, as this defendant admitted doing, is not only a crime, it poses a serious danger to the well-being of every driver, passenger, and pedestrian in the vicinity of the crash,” remarked acting Insurance Fraud Prosecutor Christopher Iu.
Previlon faces a five-year sentence under a plea deal. His girlfriend Louis is seeking pre-trial intervention.
