Former Idaho Falls woman sentenced for insurance fraud

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI/KIDK) – A former Bonneville County woman was sentenced Thursday for insurance fraud, Attorney General Lawrence Wasden announced.

27-year-old Carol Howe, formerly of Idaho Falls and now residing in La Mesa, California, pleaded guilty to felony insurance fraud in January.

Seventh District Court Judge Joel E. Tingey sentenced Howe to two years of probation and 50 hours of community service. The judge also ordered Howe to pay a $500 fine, $896 in restitution to the Idaho Department of Insurance, and other court costs. Howe was granted a withheld judgment.

An investigation revealed Howe added a computer endorsement to her renter’s insurance policy in February 2018. After the endorsement was added, Howe filed a claim for damage to two computers in her home. It was determined that the damage to the computers occurred prior to the endorsement. Howe provided a false date of loss in an attempt to get insurance benefits that she was not entitled to receive.

Deputy Attorney General Jessica Cafferty in the Attorney General’s Special Prosecutions Unit prosecuted the case. The Idaho Department of Insurance investigated.