Kansas woman sentenced to 18 months of probation for insurance fraud

TOPEKA, Kan. (WIBW) - A Kansas woman was sentenced to 18 months of probation for insurance fraud.

Kansas Insurance Department said Insurance Commissioner Vicki Schmidt announced that a Kansas woman has been sentenced to 18 months of probation for insurance fraud.

Kansas Insurance Department officials indicated Carolyn Engelhardt, 30, pleaded guilty in the District Court of Norton County on July 25, 2023, to one felony count of a fraudulent insurance act after she knowingly submitted a fraudulent auto claim to her insurance company for a loss that occurred prior to her purchasing the auto coverage. She was sentenced on Monday, Sept. 11, to 18 months probation with 10 months underlying prison time if her probation is violated. Engelhardt also was assessed a $500 fine and associated court costs.

“Purchasing insurance after an accident and then filing a claim, or ‘past-posting’, is fraud which costs all Kansans in the form of increased premiums every year,” Schmidt said. “The Department will continue pursuing penalties against anyone committing insurance fraud in Kansas.”

The Kansas Insurance Department officials said they investigated the case, which was prosecuted by the Kansas Attorney General’s Office.