Woman sentenced in insurance scam

A Weymouth woman was one of three defendants pleading guilty to charges of staging car crashes to collect fraudulent insurance claims.

Laura Battista, 58, received a sentence of five years probation and ordered to pay $12,941 in restitution along with performing 100 hours of community service.

According to prosecutors, Battista and David Folizzi, 47, of New Hampshire, were employees of a Winthrop auto body shop and paid people to submit false insurance claims between May, 2006 and June, 2007.

In one incident, another defendant, Janet Vaccari, 46, of Reading, submitted a claim to her insurance company stating that she had been involved in an accident with Battista. The insurer paid both women, and Vaccari signed her check over to the auto body shop, authorities said.

Also charged in the scheme was Battista’s stepson, Fred Battista, 46, of Revere. He and Forlizzi are still awaiting trial.

Another suspect, William Penta, 44, of Revere, was given a suspended two-year sentence and two years of probation. He was ordered to pay $4,304 in restitution and perform 40 hours of community service for his role in the scam.

Vaccari was sentenced to five years of probation and ordered to pay restitution of $8,420.

Her daughter, Deana Pistone, 35, of Wakefield, received two years of probation and 40 hours of community service.

Weymouth News - Police Beat