Former Bel Air Car Dealership Mechanic Sentenced for Theft Scheme

From the Maryland Attorney General’s Office:

Attorney General Anthony G. Brown announced today that Kenneth Wayne Collins III., 36, of Parkville, Maryland, was sentenced on one count of theft scheme having a value of $100,000 or more. Harford County Circuit Court Judge Diane Adkins-Tobin sentenced Collins to 15 years’ incarceration, with all but four years suspended. Upon his release, Collins will be on supervised probation for five years and be required to pay $223,768 in restitution to the victims.

On October 2, 2023, Collins pleaded guilty to one count of theft scheme involving property valued at $100,000 or more. Collins was employed at a Bel Air car dealership from January 8, 2018, to November 6, 2018. He used information obtained in connection with his employment as a service technician to file over 260 fraudulent claims for fake mechanical repairs under vehicle service contracts issued by three insurance companies: Zurich NA, Ally, and Fidelity. In all, Collins pocketed more than $223,000 in connection with his scheme, which continued from January 12, 2018, to May 29, 2019.

In an unrelated case, Collins pleaded guilty in 2019 to insurance fraud in the Circuit Court for Baltimore City and was granted probation before judgment. He was ordered to pay $10,272 in restitution, part of which he paid with the money he stole in the Harford County theft scheme.

In making today’s announcement, Attorney General Brown thanked his Criminal Division, specifically, the Fraud and Corruption Unit Chief Alexander Huggins and Assistant Attorney General Michelle Martin who prosecuted the case. Attorney General Brown also thanked Maryland Insurance Administration Forensic Auditor Suzzanne Jones, Investigator William Wagner, and retired investigator Joseph Adams for their assistance with this investigation.