Maryland Woman Charged with Multiple Counts of Insurance Fraud for False Renter's Claims

Rhonda Keisha Powell has been indicted for insurance fraud and other charges, accused of submitting false claims to USAA for property damages caused by broken pipes, receiving over $132,000. Prosecutors allege fake documentation and altered invoices, uncovered when USAA discovered discrepancies with her landlord and photo evidence. Powell awaits an initial court appearance in Prince George's County.

Insurance fraud is a persistent issue that costs insurance companies billions of dollars annually. In recent news, Rhonda Keisha Powell, a resident of Upper Marlboro, Maryland, has been indicted for submitting false insurance claims to USAA, accruing over $182,000 in payments [1].

Powell, also known as Rhonda Keisha Jackson, is facing charges of felony insurance fraud, theft of property, and attempted theft of property. The allegations stem from two insurance claims filed by Powell in 2020 and 2022, both under her renter's policy with USAA [1].

In both claims, Powell reported damage to her property caused by broken pipes. In the first claim, she received $58,373 from USAA, and in the second, she alleged damages worth $124,034 [1]. However, USAA discovered discrepancies in Powell's story when they learned she had never reported any broken water pipes or water damage to her landlord [1].

Moreover, the invoices and receipts Powell submitted to support her claims were found to be fake or altered [1]. USAA also noted that photos of alleged damage to Powell's property did not match the location or severity of the damage described in her claims [1].

These findings led to Powell's indictment on two counts of felony insurance fraud, one count of theft of property with a value of at least $25,000, and one count of attempted theft of property valued at $100,000 or more [1]. She is scheduled for an initial appearance in the Circuit Court for Prince George's County on July 26, 2024 [1].

It is essential to note that a criminal indictment is merely an accusation of wrongdoing, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt [1].

References:
[1] "Prince George's County Woman Charged with Multiple Counts of Insurance Fraud." The Bay Net, 18 Mar. 2023, https://thebaynet.com/prince-georges-county-woman-charged-with-multiple-counts-of-insurance-fraud/