Woman accused of insurance fraud, forgery in Colorado Springs pet care case

(COLORADO SPRINGS) — Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser announced the filing of criminal charges against a woman, who previously lived in Colorado Springs and is accused of felony insurance fraud and forgery after she allegedly submitted false and altered invoices to her pet insurance company for veterinary care for her two pets.

According to a press release sent on Wednesday, June 5, 45-year-old Leah Angelita Valentine, who now lives in Oklahoma, is accused of submitting multiple false claims to Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company in 2021 after her two pets, a dog (Pepper) and a cat (Janet), received veterinary care from clinics in Colorado Springs.

According to Weiser, Valentine allegedly submitted altered and sometimes, completely fabricated invoices supporting her claims that included inflated amounts, and after Nationwide identified what it believed to be fraudulent invoices and other suspicious claims, an internal review was conducted. The case was then referred to the Financial Fraud Unit and upon investigation, the Colorado Department of Law determined there was cause to charge Valentine.

“When people engage in insurance fraud, we all pay the price through higher premiums and increased enforcement costs to taxpayers,” Weiser said. “Everyone should know that insurance fraud is a crime. Whether it’s a false claim about your dog or anything else, if you attempt to defraud your insurance company, you are barking up the wrong tree.”

According to Weiser, the case was filed in El Paso County Court on May 10. Valentine is accused of filing five fraudulent insurance claims totaling $5,000 and faces 10 counts of Insurance Fraud and five counts of Forgery, both carrying felony-level charges. Valentine is due in court for an Advisement Hearing on July 11.

According to Weiser, people who suspect insurance fraud, or any other type of fraud or scam, are encouraged to file a complaint with the attorney general at StopFraudColorado.gov.

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