Unlicensed Insurance Adjuster to Plead Guilty in Insurance Fraud Scheme
Vincent DiPaolo the Only Remaining Defendant Not to Have Admitted to Participating in Insurance Fraud Scheme Uncovered During North Providence Public Corruption Probe
| U.S. Attorney’s Office August 02, 2011 |
PROVIDENCE, RI—An unlicensed insurance adjuster charged in connection with an insurance fraud scheme uncovered by the FBI during a lengthy probe into public corruption in North Providence, R.I., has agreed to plead guilty as charged in a five-count federal indictment, announced United States Attorney Peter F. Neronha and Richard DesLauriers, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Boston Field Office.
Vincent O. DiPaolo, 62, of Johnston, an unlicensed public insurance adjuster and owner of VDP United Consultants, Inc., was indicted along with three others by a federal grand jury in November 2010 on four counts of mail fraud and one count of conspiracy.
The indictment alleges that DiPaolo; former North Providence Town Councilman John A. Zambarano, a residential contractor and owner of Zam’s Carpeting, Inc.; Robert A. Ricci, a former hearing officer for the Rhode Island Contractor’s Registration and Licensing Board, and a residential contractor and owner of R.A.R. Building and Home Improvements LLC; and Lori A. Sergiacomi, a/k/a Tanya Cruise, an on-air Providence radio personality, conspired to devise a scheme in which an insurance claim would be filed to repair uninsured flood damage to Sergiacomi’s home which was caused by the historic floods in March 2010.
The indictment alleges that they intentionally caused damage to the roof and interior of Sergiacomi’s home and in-ground swimming pool, and then attributed the damages and previous flood damage to a fictitious wind and rain storm in April 2010. Sergiacomi’s insurance claim for nearly $50,000 also included money to be used for home improvement projects.
According to the Indictment, DiPaolo, whose insurance adjuster’s license was revoked by the Rhode Island Department of Business Regulation in December 2007, acted as Sergiacomi’s representative and agent. It is alleged that he lied to an insurance adjuster who represented Sergiacomi’s insurance company about the damages and the cost of repairs to Sergiacomi’s property.
John Zambarano pleaded guilty in March 2011 to political corruption and insurance fraud charges, and was sentenced in May to 71 months in federal prison by U.S. District Court Chief Judge Mary M. Lisi. Robert Ricci and Lori Sergiacomi pleaded guilty in June, as charged, and are scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Lisi on August 25, 2011.
The matter is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Terrence P. Donnelly and John P. McAdams.