Holmesburg business trio charged with insurance fraud
The defendants stole from more than 30 homeowners who made insurance claims.
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Two men and a woman have been charged with defrauding $300,000 from 30 people, many of them elderly homeowners, through an insurance-claims business in the city’s Holmesburg section, District Attorney Larry Krasner said Wednesday.
Anthony J. Hoffman, 56; Deborah L. Felix, 35; and Hartman J. Wismer, 35, were each charged with insurance fraud, theft by deception, forgery, conspiracy, theft by deception, and bad checks. Hoffman was in federal custody on tax charges and Felix and Wismer have surrendered to authorities, Krasner said in a news release.
Hoffman owned Ace Public Adjusters at 7930 Frankford Ave. and employed Felix, his stepdaughter, and Wismer, her fiance, who worked as the public adjuster. Krasner said the business is now closed.
The trio processed insurance claims for damage by homeowners and pocketed more than they were legally entitled to, Krasner said.
The Pennsylvania Insurance Department has revoked the licenses of Hartman, Wismer, and the business, and took steps to provide some reimbursements to 24 victims.