Fisher sentenced for insurance fraud

COEUR d'ALENE - A 44-year-old Rathdrum man was sentenced to a year and a half in prison for insurance fraud and forgery, Idaho Attorney General Lawrence Wasden said Tuesday.

Joseph G. Fisher pleaded guilty in October to the two felonies, and was sentenced last week by First District Court Judge John Luster. Fisher is currently in custody at the Kootenai County jail and awaiting transport to prison.

By pleading guilty to the two counts, Fisher admitted that in 2007, he forged what's called a full reconveyance document, with the intent of deceiving an insurer, Alliance Title and Escrow.

A full reconveyance document is used to show there are no liens or money owed against a property that's being used for collateral.

By submitting the forged full reconveyance document, Fisher was stating he owned the property free and clear, when that was not the case.

He also admitted that in 2007, he forged the name of a trustee on a full reconveyance document, knowing that without the trustee's signature the document had no legal significance.

The insurance crimes unit of the attorney general's criminal law division prosecuted the case against Fisher.

The FBI and the Idaho Department of Insurance investigated the case at the request of Alliance Title.

In a separate civil action in 2009, Fisher was ordered to repay Independent Mortgage Ltd. Co. $226,500.

In that case, Fisher applied for a loan with Independent in 2007, but he had forged a loan document.

Independent claimed it made the loan, which was not secured and resulted in a loss to the insurer.

Fisher was booked into Kootenai County jail in October 1999, for a warrant from Latah County charging him with a misdemeanor for insufficient funds checks.