Rockville Center shop owner Lorraine Christie-Pilitz charged with insurance fraud

Legal woes are piling up for Lorraine Christie-Pilitz, the owner of Autotech Collision on South Long Beach Road in Rockville Centre, after she was arrested for the second time this year, most recently on charges that she attempted to scam an insurance company out of more than $12,000.

Christie-Pilitz, 52, of Merrick, was taken into custody by investigators from the Nassau County district attorney’s office on Sept. 15 and charged with three counts of insurance fraud and one count of falsifying business records, both felonies. She faces up to three years in prison if she is convicted.

Autotech has also been charged with criminal possession of a forged instrument and falsifying business records, also felonies, and faces a fine of up to $10,000.

According to District Attorney Kathleen Rice’s office, Christie-Pilitz was driving a 2007 Chrysler PT Cruiser owned by her body shop in September 2009 when she was rear-ended. Although the accident was reportedly not serious, Christie-Pilitz submitted a claim to Geico, the company that insures the other driver, allegedly claiming that her car was totaled. Geico representatives attempted to see the car a number of times so they could assess the damage, but were unable to for six weeks.

When Geico finally saw the car at Autotech, it had been dismantled and was in pieces, Rice said. Geico agreed to pay the full cost of the damages, and asked Christie-Pilitz for proof of the vehicle’s value, a bill of sale that would prove her ownership of it and a list of expenses related to its storage and repair.

Rice said that Pilitz provided Geico with a hand-written list of expenses and a fraudulent bill of sale indicating that she paid Autotech $12,491, including $991 in taxes, for the vehicle, as well as a fraudulent MV-50 (a DMV form used to transfer ownership of any vehicle owned or controlled by a dealer).

During the D.A.’s investigation, another allegedly forged MV-50 was discovered, this one containing the forged signature of Christie-Pilitz’s father, who died seven months prior to the date on the form, according to Rice. “Lorraine Pilitz knows the system and thought she could play it to her advantage, but she got caught,” Rice said. “When people defraud insurance companies, it results in higher costs for the rest of us. By investigating and prosecuting insurance fraud cases, we are doing our part in keeping costs down for honest ratepayers.”

This is Christie-Pilitz’s second brush with the law this year. On April 27, she was arrested and charged with another felony — criminal possession of a forged instrument — after she allegedly parked a 2003 Honda Element in the lot of the Garden City Department of Motor Vehicles office. Police said that a Motor Vehicles inspector noticed the vehicle and recognized its obviously forged plates. Nassau County police were called and Christie-Pilitz was arrested at the DMV that afternoon.

Assistant District Attorney Maria Testagrossa of the Auto Crimes Unit is handling the insurance case for the district attorney’s office. Christie-Pilitz’s attorney did not return calls requesting comment.

Christie-Pilitz pleaded not guilty at her arraignment on Sept. 15 at First District Court in Hempstead.

Judy Rattner contributed to this story. Comments about it? RVCeditor@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 208.