Herndon Man Charged with Theft of Insurance Funds

The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that criminal charges have been filed in U.S. District Court in Williamsport against Derl Knarr, of Herndon, Pennsylvania.

According to United States Attorney Peter J. Smith, Knarr, age 55, is charged in a one-count felony information with stealing insurance funds while he worked for Allstate Financial Services. The thefts are alleged to have occurred between 2006 and 2012 and total more than $630,000.

The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, State College Resident Office. Assistant United States Attorney Wayne P. Samuelson is assigned to prosecute the case.

Indictments and criminal informations are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.

A sentence following a finding of guilty is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.

In this case, the maximum penalty under the federal statute is 10 years’ imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine of over $250,000. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the judge is also required to consider and weigh a number of factors, including the nature, circumstances, and seriousness of the offense; the history and characteristics of the defendant; and the need to punish the defendant, protect the public, and provide for the defendant’s educational, vocational, and medical needs. For these reasons, the statutory maximum penalty for the offense is not an accurate indicator of the potential sentence for a specific defendant.