Long Branch Woman Indicted on Charges of Insurance Fraud

Long Branch resident Helaine Bunce was recently indicted by a Monmouth County Grand Jury on five counts for allegedly committing insurance fraud in Red Bank for a period of more than a year.

According to court documents, the 64-year-old Bunce stole more than $75,000 from Nov. 11, 2008 to Jan. 19, 2010, through deception by submitting multiple insurance claims to a health care provider for both she and Richard Bunce for treatments neither received.

The five counts include theft by deception, insurance fraud, health care claims fraud, all second degree crimes, and forgery and uttering a forged instrument, both fourth degree crimes.

An indictment claims that Bunce committed five or more acts of insurance fraud by submitting claims to Horizon Blue Cross/Blue Shield of New Jersey for treatments from a chiropractor that were never given. The forgery counts are related to the submission of fraudulent insurance claims.