Local

Renton woman pleads not guilty to jewelry insurance fraud charges

Ring file photo via MGN Online Image ID #215112

RENTON, Wash. — A Renton Woman pleaded not guilty to one charge of first-degree theft and two counts of filing a fraudulent insurance claim in King County Superior Court on Monday.

Stephanie Pepper Snider, 42, was charged after an investigation by Insurance Commissioner Mark Kreidler's Criminal Investigations Unit.

"Snider filed a claim with State Farm Insurance in August 2016 for a 2-carat diamond ring she said she lost the day before. State Farm paid Snider $10,617 for the ring. In June 2017, Snider filed a claim with Allstate Insurance for the same ring, stating it had been stolen from her apartment,"  according to a news release from the office of the insurance commissioner.

Snider said she was not aware of the State Farm claim or payment when she was questioned by Allstate, according to the investigation. Allstate denied Snider's claim and referred the case to Kreidler's CIU.

Kreidler's investigators interviewed the former fiance of Snider, who had purchased the ring, in April 2018. Snider's former fiance "showed investigators the ring, receipt, diamond certificate and a photo of Snider wearing the ring in October 2016, after State Farm paid her more than $10,000 for the ring. The man said he was not aware that Snider had filed the 2016 claim with State Farm."

Scroll down to continue reading

More news from KIRO 7

DOWNLOAD OUR FREE NEWS APP

According to the Insurance Commissioner's website, the Criminal Investigations Unit "identifies and investigates organizations and people who target insurance companies for criminal fraud. The Unit also does outreach to teach consumers about insurance fraud and how to prevent it." Click here to read more.

Click here to report suspected insurance fraud on the insurance commissioners' website.