The Insurance Fraud Unit of the Philadelphia District Attorneys Office has charged 52 year old Karla Rush-Bell with Insurance Fraud, Theft by Deception, and False Reports.
Detectives from the Insurance Fraud Unit(IFU) began to investigate Karla Rush-Bell after receiving a referral from the Philadelphia Police Major Crimes Unit. On July 22, 2013, Rush-Bell reported to the 12th police district that her 1998 Lincoln Navigator had been stolen. The following day, Rush-Bell also reported the theft to her insurance company, Titan Insurance, a subsidiary of Nationwide. Rush-Bell told both the insurance company and the police that she had parked her vehicle at 4300 Chester Avenue on July 22, 2013. Upon her return that same night, she discovered her car was missing. Rush-Bell told the police the car was insured by Titan and had a value of about ten thousand dollars.
Rush-Bell allegedly did not realize that her 1998 Lincoln Navigator was equipped with a Lojack system. A Lojack device is placed within some cars and used to locate stolen vehicles. When a vehicle is reported stolen, the device emits broadcasting signals which enable police to track the car. On July 22, 2013, police responded to the Navigator’s stolen vehicle activation signal two hours after Rush-Bell reported the car stolen. The car was found at Cartel Auto Parts. Detectives reviewed paperwork from Cartel Auto Parts which indicated that Rush-Bell had allegedly sold the vehicle for four hundred dollars on July 20, 2013, two days before the alleged date of loss.
Detectives arrested Karla Rush-Bell for Theft by Deception, Insurance Fraud and False Reports on October 8, 2013. She is next scheduled to appear for a status listing in Philadelphia Municipal Court on October 15, 2013.
ADA Dawn Farrell and Detective Gilbert Brook are specialy assigned to this case.
Philly DA 