Raleigh County Couple Indicted For Insurance Fraud 

CHARLESTON, WV -- West Virginia Insurance Commissioner, Jane L. Cline, along with Inspector General, Gary N. Griffith, announced today that a Raleigh County Grand Jury indicted a Coal City, WV, couple for insurance fraud on January 16, 2008.  Mathew and Jennifer Nichols were each indicted on two (2) felony counts of forgery, two (2) felony counts of uttering and one (1) felony count of conspiracy.  The couple is accused of forging an automobile proof of insurance certificate and presenting it as a true certificate to both a Raleigh County Magistrate and the WV Department of Motor Vehicles.  If convicted, both face a one (1) to ten (10) year prison sentence and up to a fine of $10,000 on each felony count. 

Commissioner Cline added, "This case is representative of the cooperation between the Department of Motor Vehicles and the OIC's Fraud Unit to investigate and prosecute instances of individuals providing fraudulent certificates of insurance. The consumers who abide by the law requiring insurance on their automobiles need to be protected against those who break the law and don't have the required coverage."