Nab MTA cop in alleged insurance scam

A Nassau County man employed as an MTA police officer was arrested on September 12 for filing a fraudulent $28,375 insurance claim for a diamond ring that he reported missing but was actually being worn by his fianc/e.
John V. Barnett, 40, of Franklin Square, was arraigned in Queens County Court following his arrest. He faces a single felony count of insurance fraud. If convicted, he could be sentenced to seven years in prison. He was released on his own recognizance pending a future court hearing.
According to officers Barnett purchased the diamond for approximately $15,000 in July 2006 under a promotional program sponsored by USAA, an insurance company that serves current and former military personnel.
A lieutenant commander in the U.S. Navy Reserve, Barnett had the stone set into a $2,200 18 karat gold setting. He then insured the ring with USAA in December 2006 for $28,375.
Barnett reported the ring missing in 2007. He filed a claim with USAA, telling the insurer he lost the ring while going to a jeweler to have it cleaned. Investigators later tracked Barnett’s fianc/e — who was not implicated in the case — and photographed the ring on her finger.