US: Man fakes death to avoid jail time, caught after death certificate showed error
A criminal defendant in US tried faking his own death to avoid a jail sentence, but a phoney death certificate submitted by his lawyer got him caught.
A criminal defendant in Long Island, US tried faking his own death to avoid a jail sentence, but a phoney death certificate submitted by his lawyer reportedly got him caught. Robert Berger from Huntington, New York, was previously sentenced to “charges of stolen Lexus and attempted grand Larceny of the truck”. But, in an attempt to avoid the punishment, he forged a death certificate but was later caught due to a spelling error.
According to reports, Berger could face up to three years if convicted in the alleged scheme, in addition to his previous charges. Speaking to international media reporters, in a telephonic interview, Nassau County District Attorney Madeline Singas, said that she was amazed by the length some people would go to avoid being held accountable for criminal charges.
Credits: AP
According to international media reports, Berger was scheduled to be sentenced last October when he fled the state. He then convinced his advocate and the judge that he had killed himself to pass along a bogus death certificate. However, he was caught after the certificate he presented showed a spelling error.
'Regsitry'
As per the prosecutors, the ‘fake’ death certificate presented by the Berger initially seemed authentic. However, a closer look revealed that it was not issued by the New Jersey Department of Health. As per them, Registry was spelt “Regsitry,” in the certificate. In addition, there were also inconsistencies in the font type and size that raised suspicions, the prosecutors added.
Arraigned by the court on a video call on July 21, Berger pleaded not guilty to every single count of offering false statement for filing. Though, he was initially offered bail at $1 but was summoned back to the court because of his underlying cases. His next proceeding at the court is scheduled for July 29.
Published By : Riya Baibhawi
Published On: 22 July 2020 at 20:02 IST