Federal prosecutors are arguing against a home confinement sentence for a former Rhode Island DJ who damaged her North Providence house in a $40,000 insurance fraud scheme after last year?s floods. 49 year old Lori Sergiacomi is sentenced next week. She used to work for Citadel owned WWLI-FM in East Providence, Rhode Island. Prosecutors said in court papers filed Friday that Sergiacomi should spend four months in prison, four months in community confinement and pay restitution to ?promote respect for the law. Probation with home confinement ?would, in effect, sentence the defendant to serve her term in the very house which she improved through this fraud scheme.??
Authorities learned about the insurance fraud during a separate investigation into a bribery scheme involving three North Providence town councilmen. Prosecutors say Sergiacomi, who did not have flood insurance, contacted then-Councilman John Zambarano after her recently renovated basement flooded. Authorities say Zambarano and an ex-insurance adjuster advised her not to file a claim with FEMA. Sergiacomi then hired the insurance adjuster, and her home was deliberately damaged to make look to make it look like it had been struck by a storm that never happened.
