Former Norfolk police officer pleads guilty to mail fraud

NORFOLK

A former police officer pleaded guilty in federal court to charges of mail fraud in connection with a false insurance claim.

Ethan Jason Love, 26, of Portsmouth, was a Norfolk police officer in July 2009 when he owned a 2000 Mercedes Benz sedan, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office Eastern District of Virginia.

The car was insured with Nationwide General Insurance Company and Love had a lien on it requiring monthly payments, the news release said, quoting court documents. With the help of a friend, Love purchased some tools and spray paint on July 18, 2009, and used the tools to vandalize the car and the spray paint to mark it with gang graffiti to make it appear that a street gang was responsible for the damage. Newly purchased tires and rims were also removed before the Mercedes was abandoned in the early-morning hours of July 19 in the Churchland section of Portsmouth.

When Love returned to his home the next morning he had voicemails from his Norfolk police supervisors and Portsmouth police about the abandoned car. Love returned the Portsmouth police message and reported that his car had been stolen sometime on July 18, the news release said.

After reporting the car stolen to police, Love then called the insurance company to make a claim for the damaged car. He later gave a recorded statement to a claims adjuster saying the car had been stolen and vandalized while he was in Virginia Beach with a cousin. He also filled out an affidavit of theft form that he signed and had notarized on July 27 and mailed back to the insurance company.

The lien holder on the Mercedes received a payment from Nationwide as payment for the fraudulent theft and damage claim, the news release said. Love resigned from Norfolk police shortly before entering his plea agreement with the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Love is scheduled to be sentenced in June.