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August 27, 2010
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Salem Resident Sentenced on Wire Fraud Charge

CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA — A Salem, West Virginia, resident was sentenced on August 20, 2010, in United States District Court in Clarksburg by Judge Irene M. Keeley.

United States Attorney William J. Ihlenfeld, II announced that CHRISTOPHER BRAGG was sentenced to 33 months imprisonment to be followed by three years supervised release and was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $208,433.00. BRAGG entered a plea of guilty on May 17, 2010, to one count of an Indictment charging him with committing wire fraud in furtherance of an insurance fraud scheme from July of 2001 to April of 2007. It was part of the scheme to purposely inflict damage to vehicles and stage motor vehicle accidents, then file false insurance claims to collect monetary settlements from insurance companies for vehicle damage and personal injuries.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Andrew R. Cogar and was investigated by the West Virginia Insurance Commission, Office of Inspector General.