Maryland Attorney General Anthony G. Brown has announced that a grand jury in Prince George’s County has issued two indictments against Rhonda Keisha Powell, a resident of Upper Marlboro, accusing her of multiple counts of insurance fraud.
The charges against Powell, who is also known as Rhonda Keisha Jackson, include two counts of felony insurance fraud, one count of theft exceeding $25,000, and one count of attempted theft of property valued at $100,000 or more.
It is important to note that an indictment is a formal accusation and that Powell is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
According to state prosecutors, Powell allegedly filed fraudulent insurance claims under her renter’s policy with the United States Automobile Association (USAA) on two occasions: December 2020 and November 2022. Powell purportedly claimed that a broken pipe in her home’s primary suite bathroom caused significant flooding, resulting in damage to various personal belongings including furniture, electronics, clothing, purses, shoes, and jewelry. USAA reportedly paid out $58,373 for the 2020 claim.
For the 2022 claim, Powell alleged damages amounting to $124,034. However, USAA denied this claim after discovering inconsistencies. Court documents indicate that Powell had not reported any water damage or broken pipes to her landlord, that invoices and receipts provided by Powell were either fraudulent or altered, and that the photos of the supposed damage did not originate from Powell’s residence.
Powell is scheduled to make her initial appearance in the Circuit Court for Prince George’s County on July 26, 2024.