BUFFALO – Special treatment again by the courts for dirty
cops.
A former Buffalo police officer, convicted of mail fraud, has been
sentenced to 10 months home confinement by a federal court judge.
Johnnie Fritz,49, was also ordered to pay restitution in the
amount of $6,400 to his victims.
Between April 20, 2009, and June 9, 2009, Fritz conspired with
another individual to defraud State Farm Automobile Insurance Company by
inflating a claim for automobile insurance policy proceeds.
Fritz assisted the co-conspirator in making a claim with State
Farm following the theft of the co-conspirator’s automobile, a 2003 Cadillac
CTS. The claim included two fraudulent receipts. One of the receipts falsely
indicated that new tire rims had been added to the vehicle and the other
receipt falsely indicated that a new muffler had recently been installed on the
vehicle. The two false receipts inflated the value of the vehicle by more than
$3,000.
Fritz made three other unrelated false claims for automobile
insurance policy proceeds involving three other vehicles.
In addition to the false claims for insurance, Fritz also abused
his position as a police officer with the City of Buffalo Police Department. In
October 2009, Fritz unlawfully opened a New York State Department of Motor
Vehicles account that enabled him to search DMV databases at no charge. Only
law enforcement officials could open a DMV no-fee account like the one opened
by Fritz.
The defendant was previously convicted in Buffalo City Court on
June 9, 2011, for attempted grand larceny and failure to keep records under the
New York State Tax Law, both misdemeanors, for his failure to pay State of New
York sales tax receipts related to his automobile dealership.
Others convicted of the same offenses have been sentenced to jail
or state prison, not house arrest.
