Monday, March 14, 2016

Bridgeport man accused of insurance fraud for Stamford accident claim

STAMFORD — A Bridgeport man has been accused of requesting collision insurance hours after crashing his sports car into a traffic median and then trying to claim the accident happened weeks later, police said.

According to the arrest affidavit of Philip Lage, 28, of Merchant Street, Stamford police responded to the accident on Canal Street near Tresser Boulevard at 2 a.m. on June 1, 2013.

Officers found an abandoned 2002 Audi TT with its two airbags deployed, its engine stopped, no key in the ignition and engine fluids leaking onto the road, the affidavit said.

More than a month later, Lage called his insurance company and claimed his vehicle was damaged in a crash on June 15 when his friend was driving the car, the affidavit said.

Lage told the agent he had no other information about the crash and did not have a police accident number, according to the affidavit.

An investigator for the insurance agent discovered Lage removed collision insurance from the car in March of that year and then requested for it to be reinstated at 5 a.m. on June 1, the affidavit said.

Stamford police could not find a June 15 accident report when contacted by the insurance agent. But police discovered the report of the abandoned Audi on June 1 when they ran the vehicle’s identification number through the computer, the affidavit said.

Lage has been charged with insurance fraud and was arraigned at the Stamford courthouse Thursday, assigned a public defender and released on a promise to appear at court. No plea was made to the charge.

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