Phoenix, AZ - Following an Arizona Department of Insurance and Financial Institutions’ (DIFI) Fraud Unit investigation and prosecution by the Arizona Attorney General’s Office, April Michelle Sandoval, 34, was sentenced to two years supervised probation and was fined $638.00 as part of a plea deal in which Sandoval pleaded guilty to Theft, a class six felony. As part of the plea deal, Sandoval also agreed to pay back the victim insurance company $36,722.

Sandoval’s charges resulted from drafting checks to herself with funds illegally taken from the victim insurance company and depositing those funds into her personal bank account between January 2019 and December 2019. The investigation was referred to DIFI Fraud investigators by The Great Northern Insurance Company dba Chubb Insurance Company. DIFI Fraud investigators determined Chubb suffered a loss of $36,722 as a result of the fraudulent payments Sandoval made to herself.

“Outcomes like this should serve as a warning to those considering fraudulent activities,” said DIFI Director Evan Daniels. “This case is another great example of how DIFI Fraud Unit investigators and the Arizona Attorney General’s Office work together to make sure insurance fraud criminals are held accountable.”

The DIFI Fraud Unit investigates allegations of fraud to protect insurance consumers and the insurance industry.  Combating fraud helps keep insurance premiums as low as possible for consumers.   According to the Coalition Against Insurance Fraud (CAIF), insurance fraud results in at least $80 billion in thefts every year from the American consumer. To learn more, visit https://insurancefraud.org/. To learn more about DIFI, visit https://difi.az.gov/about-difi.