20+ Years of Experience
Insurance Fraud Attorney
Are you facing criminal charges for insurance fraud in Chicago? If so, contact Chicago defense attorney Gus Kostopoulos today for immediate legal help. Gus is a former prosecutor with over 18 years experience.
Insurance fraud is a serious crime that can be charged as a misdemeanor or a felony. This means that if you are convicted of insurance fraud you will face harsh penalties and be burdened with a criminal record for the rest of your life. You can limit the consequences of your arrest for insurance fraud by hiring an experienced attorney to defend you. Call the Kostopoulos Law Group today to set up a free consultation and learn more.
20+ Years of Experience
Experienced Former Prosecutor
Top Rated in Criminal Defense
What is Insurance Fraud?
In Illinois, Insurance fraud occurs when you intentionally attempt to recover insurance benefits by submitting a claim that you know is false. You must have an intent to deprive the insurance company of their property. These benefits can be in the form of services or money.
There are three different ways you can be guilty of insurance theft, as defined in 720 ILCS 10-17.5:
- attempting to obtain,
- causing to be obtained, or
- obtaining insurance benefits to which you are not legally entitled.
This means that you can be convicted of insurance fraud even if you have another person commit the act on your behalf or if your attempt to recover benefits is unsuccessful.
The target of your insurance fraud does not have to do business as an insurance company. If you intentionally submit a false claim to a company that is self-insured, you can also face criminal charges for insurance fraud.
“Got my felony completely dismissed!”
My family’s lawyer told me that you are top trial lawyers. You won my felony hearing and got my felony completely dismissed! Thank you
– Michael L
“I was facing multiple charges of Domestic Battery”
I was facing multiple charges of Domestic Battery , had 3 warrants issued for my arrest and had these stupid charges weighing on me for 6 years, not wanting to face the music. I finally got picked up and with 6 small children at home, there was NO WAY I could afford to have jailtime. Joe listened and asked crucial questions and from the start he told me he would get it dismissed. I was skeptical to say the least. I paid him in 2 payments (he is super flexible) and then waited after the holidays for final court date. Completely dismissed. He will not give you false hope. He is honest, real and the ONLY person I want in my corner. HE IS WORTH EVERY PENNY! Don’t have someone else give you the runaround as most attorneys do. Save yourself the BS and GO WITH JOE !!!
– Christina S. | March 2019
“I could not be more pleasedand thankful.”
Please read this before you look for another lawyer!! First off, I want to say I am writing this review not because someone asked but because I am so beyond grateful and impressed to have had this group defending me in the court of law. I have never had such exceptional customer service and treated as if I were a high-end long time client. They made me feel like my case was just as important to them as the next. Their articulate steps were given to me in the very beginning to go over what was to be expected and what their goal was. Their rather diligent and speedy efforts to resolve my case couldn’t have been dealt with any better as my case could have gone south real quick. I trusted this group to take full control, let them do their work and they delivered with an outcome I was not expecting. I could not be more pleased and thankful as well as appreciated their flexibility with my payments (that was more than affordable for the hard work they did) as I was in a tight bind at the time. Thank you Joe, Rosemary and everyone else in between who have helped along the way! Your efforts were not unrecognized and I wish your group the best in the future to come! Lets just hope I don’t have to go through this again. If so I’m calling you back!!
– Mareena G. | January 2020
“He was able to dismiss my case and expunge this legal problem off my record.”
I came into some trouble with the law and being my first ever having to hire a lawyer was difficult. When a good friend of mine told me about Joe at Kostopoulos Law Group I had a good feeling about him. Around the time I came into some trouble with the law I was in the process of enlisting for the United States Marines. This court case was stopping me from going any further with my plans of enlisting. I brought the case to Joe and let him know my situation. He was able to dismiss my case and expunge this legal problem off my record. Joe cleared it all up for me and I had little to no worries. I HIGHLY recommended Joe from Kostopoulos Law Group. He will put your mind to ease and take care of your legal trouble. Joe is a very down to earth guy, respectful man, and super friendly. Thank you Joe for taking care of my case I really appreciate it.
– Jonathan G. | November 2019
“Gus, Joe and Rosemary helped in getting my case dismissed.”
Words cannot describe how grateful I am to Joe and Gus. It is very hard to find a dedicated sincere attorney like Joe. Even if anyone calls their number in the middle of the night, Joe will be there to answer and hear your case for sure. Just like that, few months ago, I got into a very unfortunate circumstance. My wife was worried sick didn’t know what to do, called the Kostopoulos Law firm in the middle of the night, since then, Joe is been supporting me till the case got completely dismissed. Gus, Joe and Rosemary helped in getting my case dismissed. Words are enough to express my gratitude and appreciation for their sincere dedication and hard work. They went above and beyond to make sure I understood what was happening and what needed to be done to get the case completely dismissed and expunged. To say my experience with the Kostopoulos Law group was pleasant would be the biggest understatement. I am forever thankful to them both. If you happen to find yourself if legal troubles I highly recommend the Kostopoulos Law Group.Thank you Gus, Joe and Rosemary!!
– Imran Q. | May 2019
Examples of Insurance Fraud
Insurance fraud cases commonly involve an involve health insurance, car insurance, hard money, life insurance, workers’ compensation, and property insurance. A claim will be false if you know that it does not contain accurate information. This means that a claim could be made up entirely or simply have some information stated incorrectly.
Examples of insurance fraud include:
- Lying about the extent of damage to your car when submitting an insurance claim for damages;
- Faking a work injury to recover workers’ compensation benefits;
- Intentionally setting fire to your home and filing a claim for homeowner’s insurance; and
- Underreporting the size of your household or income when requesting unemployment benefits.
Consequences of Insurance Fraud
Insurance fraud can be charged as a misdemeanor or a felony in Chicago. The specific charge in your case will depend on the value of the property at issue and your existing criminal record.
Insurance Fraud, No Aggravating Factors
< $300: If your act of insurance fraud involves property and/or services valued at less than $300, the crime will be classified as a Class A Misdemeanor. If convicted, you will face up to one year in jail and $2,500 in fines.
$300 – $10,000: If your act of insurance fraud involves property and/or services valued between $300 – $10,000, the crime will be classified as a Class 3 Felony. If convicted, you will face up to five years in prison and $25,000 in fines.
$10,000 – $100,000: If your act of insurance fraud involves property and/or services valued between $10,000 – $100,000, the crime will be classified as a Class 2 Felony. If convicted, you will face up to seven years in prison and $25,000 in fines.
$100,000 +: If your act of insurance fraud involves property and/or services valued in excess of $100,000, the crime will be classified as a Class 1 Felony. If convicted, you will face up to 15 years in prison and $25,000 in fines.
Aggravated Insurance Fraud
Charges for insurance fraud will be aggravated when there are at least three separate fraudulent incidents within an 18-month period. Aggravated insurance fraud is a Class 1 Felony offense, regardless of the value of the property that is involved in your claims.
If it is believed that you are part of a larger conspiracy to commit insurance fraud, you may also face criminal charges for conspiracy.
Defenses to Charges of Insurance Fraud
Just because you have been charged with a crime does not automatically mean that you will be convicted. The prosecution must be able to establish that you are guilty of each element of the crime beyond a reasonable doubt. In order to be convicted of insurance fraud the prosecution must prove that you knowingly submitted a false claim and intended to deprive an insurance company of its property. Defenses in your case that may be successful include:
- You did not know the claim you submitted was false or fraudulent; or
- You did not intend to receive benefits to which you were not entitled.
Fighting Insurance Fraud Charges in Chicago
If you are facing criminal charges for insurance fraud in Chicago contact the Kostopoulos Law Group to learn about your legal rights and options. Our Chicago insurance fraud attorneys have more than three decades of combined legal experience and have successfully handled thousands of complex criminal matters. We know that your future is on the line and will do everything in our power to secure the best possible outcome in your criminal insurance fraud case.
We will thoroughly investigate your alleged crime, construct a persuasive legal argument, and fight the prosecution every step of the way. Our aggressive approach often allows us to get the charges against our clients reduced or dismissed. Call our Chicago insurance fraud defense attorneys today to schedule a free consultation and learn more.
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Top-client-rated criminal defense law firm in Dupage County. Don’t settle for less when your liberty, family, and life are on the line.
Call Dupage County and Cook County criminal defense attorney Gus Kostopoulos today to discuss your case.
