Ted Lilly charged with three counts of felony insurance fraud
Former major league pitcher Ted Lilly is in hot legal water in San Luis Obispo County California.
According to KSBY.com, Lilly pleaded not guilty on Tuesday to three separate felony charges filed by the San Luis Obispo County District Attorney’s Office, all of which pertain to vehicle insurance fraud.
It’s alledged by the California Department of Insurance that Lilly damaged his RV, which is valued at around $200,000, but did not file a claim until after he purchased insurance on the vehicle. The department’s investigation revealed that Lilly’s RV was damaged in a collision sometime last spring. Lilly then sought and received a $4,600 estimate from a local body shop on March 19, but did not purchase insurance until March 24. According to agency spokeswoman Nancy Kincaid, Lilly then filed an insurance claim worth $210,000 on March 28.
“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 said. “They can see what the damage was and whether a false claim may have been filed.”
Scheme or otherwise, the San Luis Obispo Tribune adds that Lilly was caught rather easily during a routine sweep conducted by the Department of Insurance. Charges were filed on Oct. 24.
“I can tell you that he’s charged with three different felony counts. The first is filing a false insurance claim. The second one is a false statement in support of a claim and the third one has to do with failing to disclose a material fact in connection with an insurance claim,” Assistant District Attorney Lee Cunningham said.
Lilly, who earned around $80 million during his 15-year MLB career, faces a maximum penalty of five years in San Luis Obispo County Jail if he’s convicted. He’s scheduled for arraignment on Feb. 5
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Mark Townsend is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Townie813
