Des Moines, Iowa — Officials with the Iowa Insurance Division said today (Thursday), that Scott Leininger, of Spencer, was recently convicted of 2nd Degree Theft (a Class C Felony) in Clay County Iowa District Court, for filing multiple fraudulent insurance claims with his insurance carrier.

Scott Leininger

The claims sought reimbursement for damages which he alleged to have occurred to a motorized wheelchair, a biometric hand device and an elliptical rehabilitation machine. The conviction is Leininger’s second conviction this year resulting from his schemes to obtain money by defrauding his insurance carrier.

On May 28, 2019, Leininger was convicted of 2nd Degree Theft (a Class C Felony) in Clay County District Court for the theft of insurance proceeds from his insurer. He was sentenced to a five year suspended prison sentence and ordered to serve five years of probation.

On February 25, 2019, Leininger was convicted of Forgery (a Class D Felony) in Plymouth County Iowa District Court for his role in altering business invoice receipts for the same repairs to a wheelchair, biometric hand device, and the elliptical rehabilitation machine. The conviction also led to a five year suspended prison sentence and court ordered probation for a term of five years.

Both sentences will be served concurrently. Leininger’s restitution assessment is still pending in Clay County. An investigation revealed that in each fraudulent insurance claim, Leininger alleged that this equipment sustained extensive electrical damage as a result of power surges during lightning storms. To facilitate his fraud scheme, Leininger supplied the insurance carrier fabricated repair quotes and invoices for which he received insurance proceeds totaling $57,471.00 through his insurance policy.

Iowans with information about insurance fraud are encouraged to contact the Iowa Insurance Division’s Fraud Bureau at 515-242-5304.