30-year-old Shareem Taylor of Essex County was arrested last month for orchestrating a Craigslist scam helping New Jersey Residents illegally register their vehicles in other states to pay lower insurance premiums. Taylor used the name “Brandon” in his Craigslist post where he offered assistance with obtaining out-of-state registrations, as well as insurance policies for a fee. According to the Office of the Attorney General, the Craigslist ad also read, “I can lower your instate [sic] insurance by up to 50 percent” and “I’ve been doing this for 6 years I have over 600 customers.” A sting operation ultimately brought Taylor down after an undercover detective from the Office of the Insurance Fraud Prosecutor responded to the ad. The detective then received titling documents and license plates from South Dakota. Office of the Insurance Fraud Prosecutor charged Taylor with second-degree insurance fraud and second-degree conspiracy. Taylor has not made his $50,000 bail and is being held at Bergen County Jail. He is facing up to 10 years in state prison and a $150,000 fine if convicted. Source
- Dean Smith