10News.com

Sustain San Diego
Holiday Gift Guide Button
Sustain San Diego
10 News Leadership Award
San Diego News
E-Mail News Alerts
Get breaking news and daily headlines.
Browse all e-mail newsletters

4 Plead Guilty To Insurance Fraud In Car Theft

POSTED: 4:46 pm PDT June 30, 2009

A husband and wife and two men who conspired to get rid of the couple's car to collect insurance money pleaded guilty Tuesday to fraud charges.

In a hearing before Judge Kathleen Lewis, San Diego residents Adam Duvanich, 25, and his wife, Lindsey Duvanich, 24, pleaded guilty to insurance fraud. Sentencing was set for Oct. 28 to give them time to pay restitution, said Deputy District Attorney Lisa Weinreb, who said the couple is expected to be put on probation.

The prosecutor said the couple would not get any jail time, because they don't have criminal records.

John Fuller Jr., 38, who agreed to help the couple abandon their Honda Accord last summer, pleaded guilty to attempted insurance fraud and was sentenced immediately to 16 months in state prison.

Fuller was serving time in Donovan State Prison on an unrelated conviction when he was charged in the insurance scam.

Joseph Malcuit, 26, who hid the car for Lindsey Duvanich, pleaded guilty to insurance fraud and was immediately sentenced to a year in jail.

Investigators said Lindsey Duvanich reported her car stolen July 8 and filed a vehicle theft claim with her insurance company, providing a recorded statement about the supposed theft.

The couple signed the affidavit of vehicle theft, saying their version of what happened was the truth, then had it notarized and returned it to the insurance company, according to the Department of Insurance, which was notified of the suspected fraudulent claim in October.

During the investigation, Adam Duvanich admitted that he and his wife discussed getting rid of their car in a bid to collect cash, according to the DOI.
The following are comments from our users. Opinions expressed are neither created nor endorsed by 10News.com. By posting your comments you agree to accept our Terms of Use. To report an offensive or otherwise inappropriate comment, click the "Flag" link that appears beneath that comment. Flagging a comment will send it to our editorial staff for review.

Links We Like
Sponsored Content
Don’t ruin your chances of landing that new job by making easy to correct mistakes on your cover letter. More

Don’t believe everything people tell you about home improvement. Check out the top 4 myths and stop throwing away your money. More

The signs of Cancer can sometimes be very subtle. Here's a guide to help you recognize them early. More

Living well with type-1 or type-2 diabetes can be easier than you might think. Use our diabetes resource guide. More

Sponsored Links

2009 Holidays

It's hard not to go overboard on holiday spending for the kids, the spouse or other family and friends. Here's some advice that can help you manage your money this holiday season. More
Section: Holidays

Real Estate Information