Attorney General Kelly A. Ayotte and Insurance Commissioner Roger A. Sevigny announced today the indictment of Donald Rankin for crimes involving workers’ compensation insurance.

Rankin, age 53, of Goshen, NH, was indicted by the Sullivan County Grand Jury on three counts of Theft By Deception, under RSA 637:4, representing alternative theories of the crime. The indictments allege that Rankin was receiving workers’ compensation insurance payments from MEMIC from about October 7, 2005 to approximately January 22, 2006. According to the indictments, the payments were made because Rankin claimed not to be able to work as a truck driver. The indictments allege that Rankin was working during this time period. One of the indictments alleges that Rankin purposely created the false impression that he could not work as a truck driver and he did not believe this impression to be true. The second indictment alleges that Rankin purposely failed to correct a false impression, which he previously had created or reinforced, that he could not work as a truck driver, and he did not believe this impression to be true. The third indictment alleges that Rankin purposely prevented the insurance carrier from acquiring information that he was working as a truck driver by failing to return a document, as required by RSA 281-A:53-a. The fraudulent portion of his workers’ compensation payments was greater than $1,000, according to the indictments. Rankin’s purpose, as alleged in the indictments, was to deprive MEMIC of the money.

These charges are Class A felonies which carry a maximum penalty of 7˝-15 years incarceration and a fine of $4000 or an amount not to exceed double the amount of property gained in the commission of a felony. An arraignment date has been scheduled for January 4, 2008 at the Sullivan County Superior Court.

“Insurance related criminal activity increases the costs of workers’ compensation insurance for all New Hampshire businesses. My office is committed to investigating and prosecuting insurance fraud. Stopping insurance fraud benefits all NH citizens,” stressed Insurance Commissioner Sevigny. Attorney General Ayotte said, “The Attorney General’s Office will actively investigate and vigorously prosecute insurance related criminal activity to deter persons from engaging in these offenses. Law abiding citizens should not have to pay extra for insurance because others defraud their insurance company.”

These indictments are the result of a joint investigation conducted by the Attorney General’s Office and the Insurance Department Fraud Investigation Unit. Pursuant to RSA 417:23, the Fraud Unit was formed to investigate Insurance Fraud and other insurance-related criminal activity.